Peckham Lake Fishing near Mancelona, Michigan

• Overview

  This water sits in Antrim County, Michigan. The surroundings are lake country bush. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Antrim County list holds plenty of bigger water. Mancelona lies 1.2 miles from the water. The big place round here is Grand Rapids, 136 miles distant. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Peckham Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Antrim County include brook trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rock bass and white sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish Peckham Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 67°F for July and 18°F for January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Peckham Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Nelson Lake, 0.3 miles away. What applies at Peckham Lake may have changed since it was mapped.