Little Perch Lake Fishing Guide, Marquette County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Marquette County, Michigan, sits Little Perch Lake. It lies 1,424 feet above sea level. Small at around 24 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is high ground by Michigan standards. West Ishpeming lies 11 miles from the water. The big place round here is Green Bay, 126 miles distant. Round about: Lake Francoeur 0.6 miles away, Perch Lake lies 0.9 miles on, Johnson Lake 1.1 miles away, Deer Lake lies 1.3 miles on and Chabeneau Lake 1.6 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Little Perch Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Marquette County names white sucker, yellow perch, rainbow smelt, smallmouth bass and northern pike. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Little Perch Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 64°F at the top of summer and 12°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Expect Little Perch Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lake Francoeur at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Little Perch Lake before loading the car.