Pickerel Lake Fishing near Gaylord, Michigan

• Overview

  Pickerel Lake sits within Otsego County in Michigan. It lies 902 feet above sea level. At about 41 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 1.2 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Gaylord sits 13 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Indian River follows at 17 miles, then Lewiston at 23 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name rock bass, white sucker and largemouth bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Pickerel Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 17°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Pickerel Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Mud Lake, 1.7 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Pickerel Lake.