Fishing Perch Lake in Mecosta County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Mecosta County entry here is Perch Lake, in Michigan. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. Surface area runs to about 23 acres — small enough to read in one session. Canadian Lakes is the closest place, 5.1 miles off. The big place round here is Grand Rapids, 52 miles distant. Nearest other option: Horsehead Lake within 2.2 miles, Blue Lake 2.2 miles, Big John Brown Lake within 2.9 miles, Round Lake 3 miles and Spring Lake within 3 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Perch Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Mecosta County records list bluegill, largemouth bass, rock bass and black crappie among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Perch Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 69°F and January reads 20°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly mid December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Perch Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Horsehead Lake, 2.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Perch Lake for certain.