Cat Lake in Barry County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Barry County, Michigan. Elevation runs to 810 feet. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our Barry County list holds plenty of bigger water. Lake Odessa sits 2.7 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Then Hastings, 9.6 miles, and Nashville, 11 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Cat Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and pink salmon. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Cat Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 22°F in January to roughly 71°F in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late March. Averages place the thaw at late March and the freeze at mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan around that when you fish Cat Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. 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. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Duncan Lake, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Cat Lake before loading the car.