Upper Evans Lake in Mecosta County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Upper Evans Lake lies within the bounds of Mecosta County, Michigan. Height above sea level is 991 feet. It runs to roughly 45 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Evart sits 11 miles from the bank. Further out sit Canadian Lakes (11 miles) and Big Rapids (13 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Upper Evans Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Mecosta County include bluegill, largemouth bass and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Upper Evans Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 69°F for July and 19°F for January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Upper Evans Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. A ramp at Big Evans Lake Boat Launch is mapped half a mile away. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Big Evans Lake is 0.7 miles off. Where Upper Evans Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.