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

• Overview

  Leach Lake is one of the Barry County listings for Michigan. The surroundings are lake country bush. Around 105 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 2.1 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. On our Barry County list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Hastings is 2.9 miles out. Grand Rapids sits 27 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Leach Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. 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. Barry County records list bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. On Leach Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Leach Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Launch at Leach Lake Public Boat Launch, half a mile from the water. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Middle Lake, 0.9 miles out. Ask locally about Leach Lake if anything is unclear.