Big Evans Lake in Mecosta County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Big Evans Lake belongs to Mecosta County, Michigan. What surrounds it is pine and birch. Roughly 215 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mecosta County list. Canadian Lakes is the closest place, 11 miles off. Evart follows at 12 miles, then Big Rapids at 13 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Big Evans Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Mecosta County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, rock bass, black crappie and northern pike. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Big Evans Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 69°F and January about 19°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That is the shape of the year on Big Evans Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Upper Evans Lake, 0.7 miles out. Where Big Evans Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.