Carr Lake Fishing in Barry County, Michigan

• Overview

  You will find Carr Lake in Barry County, Michigan. The land about it is pine and birch. This is a pocket water of some 25 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Lake Odessa at 5.5 miles is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Lansing, 26 miles distant. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Carr Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Barry County include bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Carr Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 71°F; the cold one sits at 22°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late March. Climate figures give an open season running late March to mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Carr Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Mud Lake, 0.2 miles away. Treat access at Carr Lake as something to verify.