Pleasant Lake in Hillsdale County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Hillsdale County, Pleasant Lake is a Michigan water. The surface lies 1,089 feet up. At about 75 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 1.4 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Size puts it in the front rank of our Hillsdale County list. Nearest town is Hillsdale, 4.3 miles off. For a city, Ann Arbor is 50 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Pleasant Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. 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. Across Hillsdale County, recorded fish include bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Pleasant Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 21°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late March. From about late March to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Pleasant Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Deer Lake, 1 mile away. Check the current arrangement for Pleasant Lake.