Fishing at Big Lake, Allegan County, Michigan

• Overview

  Big Lake is listed under Allegan County, Michigan. The bank is 784 feet above sea level. It measures about 140 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Roughly 3.0 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Size puts it in the front rank of our Allegan County list. You are 6.4 miles from Otsego. It is 29 miles to Grand Rapids, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Big Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name alewife, rainbow smelt and yellow perch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Big Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 23°F to 71°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Look for the thaw near late March; the fishing lifts straight after. Averages place the thaw at late March and the freeze at mid December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Plan any trip to Big Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The nearest recorded ramp is Big Lake Boat Launch, half a mile out. For the carp, bait a margin spot and sit on it; corn and bread still work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Hicks Lake is 0.6 miles off. What applies at Big Lake may have changed since it was mapped.