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

• Overview

  Perch Lake is a Barry County water, in Michigan. Land around it is pine and birch. At roughly 23 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Start from Hastings, 5.9 miles down the road. Grand Rapids sits 30 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Perch Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Barry County include bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch and black crappie. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Perch Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 22°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late March. The season between ice runs from about late March to mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Perch Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Head Lake is 1.2 miles distant. Nothing on Perch Lake should be assumed from this page alone.