Fishing at Pickerel Lake, Kalamazoo County, Michigan

• Overview

  Pickerel Lake is one of the Kalamazoo County listings for Michigan. Height above sea level is 853 feet. Surface area is around 136 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The bank runs about 1.8 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Vicksburg lies 4.1 miles from the water. For a city, South Bend is 52 miles off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Kalamazoo County include bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and pumpkinseed. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Pickerel Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 72°F at the top of summer and 23°F at the bottom of winter. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter locks it down, and late March brings it back. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late March until roughly mid December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Pickerel Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. 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. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Indian Lake, 1.2 miles away. Nothing on Pickerel Lake should be assumed from this page alone.