Merles Lake Fishing near Gladstone, Michigan

• Overview

  Merles Lake stands in Delta County, Michigan. The bank is 709 feet above sea level. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. On size it sits at the modest end of our Delta County list. The nearest town is Gladstone, 17 miles away. Green Bay is the closest city, 121 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Merles Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name white sucker, alewife, rock bass, yellow perch and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Work Merles Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 16°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Merles Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Spring Lake, 0.7 miles away. Ask locally about Merles Lake if anything is unclear.