← St. Joseph County

Palmer Lake

📍 St. Joseph County, Michigan

Palmer Lake is a fishing water in St. Joseph County, Michigan (Southern Lake Michigan management unit).

33
Fish species
0
Boat launches
✓
Public access
Conditions today C 51/100 Average conditions Last stocked Nov 10, 2025 Walleye, 355 days ago Keeper size (estimated) Walleye Stocked fish likely at keeper size by now Access 0 boat launches Public access

📊 Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Palmer Lake looks for the day you pick (today by default), from 0 to 100. It adds up five things: how recently the lake was stocked, the moon phase, the season, how many game and panfish species live here (such as bluegill, channel catfish and largemouth bass), and the size of the lake. It does not include the weather forecast. The cards below show how many points each factor contributed.

C
51/100
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Conditions score

Average conditions, fish are catchable but may be selective.

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked Nov 10, 2025
Last: Nov 10, 2025
🌖 Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous
Feeding bonus
🍂 Season
Fall feeding frenzy
October
🐟 Species
7 game species present
Game & panfish
📐 Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Palmer Lake Today

Fall fish at Palmer Lake are feeding heavily before winter. Match the forage: shad, crawfish, and perch patterns work well.

📊 Fishing Pressure

Fishing pressure is our estimate of how busy Palmer Lake is likely to be today. It looks at the day of the week, the time of year, and whether the lake has been stocked recently, because fresh stockings tend to draw anglers. Lower pressure usually means more room to work the water for bluegill, channel catfish and largemouth bass.

High estimated pressure today
Weekend Peak season Popular stocking lake

Expect other anglers. Arrive early or fish early morning for best results.

Estimate based on day of week, season, and recent stocking. Not a live crowd count.

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📅 Best Time to Fish Palmer Lake

Combined bite activity across all 33 species in this lake.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

📏 Fishing Regulations

Statewide general rules for the species found here. Individual waters can have exceptions (special size limits, closed seasons, trout lake types), so check this lake's listing in the official DNR Fishing Guide before heading out.
SpeciesMin sizeDaily limit
BluegillNone25 sunfish combined
Channel Catfish12"10
Largemouth Bass14"5 bass combined
Walleye15"5
Redear SunfishNone25 sunfish combined
WarmouthNone25 sunfish combined
📅 Stocking Timeline 5-year history
15 Stocking events
43,745 Fish stocked
2 Species
356d Since last stock
612d Longest gap
Channel Catfish 30,771
Walleye 12,974
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
Jun '17
Oct '17
Jun '19
Oct '19
Nov '19
Jun '21
Oct '21
Nov '21
Jun '23
Oct '23
Jun '25
Oct '25
Nov '25

📋 Palmer Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Nov 10, 2025 Walleye 450 7.0"
Oct 29, 2025 Walleye 2,955 5.3"
Jun 24, 2025 Channel Catfish 6,901 5.8"
Oct 21, 2023 Walleye 450 7.0"
Oct 3, 2023 Walleye 1,792 6.5"
Jun 22, 2023 Channel Catfish 4,767 9.2"
Nov 1, 2021 Walleye 1,100 7.0"
Oct 6, 2021 Walleye 1,232 5.6"
Jun 23, 2021 Channel Catfish 6,811 5.5"
Nov 3, 2019 Walleye 520 7.0"
Oct 9, 2019 Walleye 1,995 5.5"
Jun 26, 2019 Channel Catfish 5,558 4.6"
Oct 26, 2017 Walleye 500 7.0"
Oct 9, 2017 Walleye 1,980 5.6"
Jun 27, 2017 Channel Catfish 6,734 5.4"
Sep 28, 2015 Walleye 190 7.0"
Sep 24, 2015 Walleye 1,932 5.5"
Jul 15, 2015 Channel Catfish 6,840 5.6"
Oct 7, 2014 Walleye 156 4.7"
Jun 26, 2013 Channel Catfish 13,519 4.0"
May 28, 2006 Walleye 18,158 1.2"
May 27, 2006 Walleye 4,365 1.2"
May 31, 2003 Walleye 9,220 1.1"
May 30, 2003 Walleye 9,220 1.1"
May 23, 2003 Walleye 7,960 1.3"
Showing 25 of 37 stocking records, newest first

* Records shown are from our database. For the most current data, visit the Michigan DNR directly.

📅 Stocking Forecast

Based on 37 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: May.
Peak Stocking Months
Jun Oct May
Most Stocked Species
Walleye Channel Catfish

* Forecast is based on historical DNR data and is not a guarantee of future stocking.

⚓ Palmer Lake Boat Launches

No launch data on record for this lake. Browse all Michigan boat launches.

💡 Angler Tips for Palmer Lake

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🌤 Current Palmer Lake Weather Conditions

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🔗 Resources

📋 DNR Stocking Database 📖 Michigan Fishing Guide (PDF) 🗺 View on Map 📍 Google Maps 🎣 Log a catch here