Perch Lake Fishing near Gwinn, Michigan

• Overview

  The Marquette County end of Michigan holds Perch Lake. The surroundings are pine and birch. At roughly 21 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Nearest town is Gwinn, 2 miles off. Green Bay is the closest city, 123 miles away. Nearby alternatives: Johnson Lake 0.8 miles away, Bertraud Lake the better part of 1 mile, Blue Lake 1.2 miles away, Rice Lake the better part of 1.2 miles and Irene Lake 2.4 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Perch Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Marquette County names white sucker, yellow perch and rainbow smelt. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Take Perch Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 14°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Perch Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is a slipway at Johnson Lake Boat Launch, roughly 0.9 miles off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Johnson Lake sits 0.8 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Perch Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.