Fishing at Pine Lake, Barry County, Michigan

• Overview

  Michigan holds Pine Lake, in Barry County. The setting is pine and birch on every side. The water covers some 61 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 1.7 miles keeps the choices simple. Stony Point lies 5.5 miles from the water. Hastings is 7.2 miles away, with Middleville at 10 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Pine Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Barry County: bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and pink salmon. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Pine Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 22°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually goes in late March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Pine Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Head Lake is 0.5 miles distant. Confirm before you fish Pine Lake.