Fishing at Perch Lakes, Otsego County, Michigan

• Overview

  Michigan holds Perch Lakes, in Otsego County. It stands 1,266 feet above sea level. It measures about 73 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. About 1.6 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Size puts it in the front rank of our Otsego County list. The nearest town is Gaylord, 4.7 miles away. Then Mancelona, 17 miles, and Lewiston, 21 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Perch Lakes

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Otsego County include rock bass, white sucker, largemouth bass and northern pike. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Perch Lakes where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 67°F, with January the cold end at about 17°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. From about mid April to around early December, expect open water on the long-run figures. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Perch Lakes follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A pier half a mile from here gives a platform over deeper water. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Gump Lake is 1.1 miles off. Confirm before you fish Perch Lakes.