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Pencil Lake

3
Fish species
0
Boat launches
✓
Public access
Conditions today F 36/100 Tough conditions Last stocked Jun 15, 1998 Yellow Perch, 28.4 years ago Keeper size (estimated) No estimate Not enough size data Access 0 boat launches Public access

📊 Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Pencil 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 northern pike, rainbow trout and yellow perch), and the size of the lake. It does not include the weather forecast. The cards below show how many points each factor contributed.

F
36/100
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Conditions score

Tough conditions, lower expectations or adjust your approach.

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked Jun 15, 1998
Last: Jun 15, 1998
🌗 Moon Phase
Last Quarter
Feeding bonus
🍃 Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
3 species recorded
Game & panfish
📐 Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Pencil Lake Today

Fall fish at Pencil 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 Pencil 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 northern pike, rainbow trout and yellow perch.

Moderate estimated pressure today
Weekend Popular stocking lake

Moderate activity expected. Midweek mornings are typically quieter.

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

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📅 Best Time to Fish Pencil Lake

Combined bite activity across all 3 species in this lake.

Jan
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📏 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
Northern Pike24"2
Rainbow Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Yellow PerchNone25

📋 Pencil Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Jun 15, 1998 Yellow Perch 500 3.0"
May 20, 1997 Rainbow Trout 100 15.5"
Aug 14, 1996 Rainbow Trout 300 15.5"
May 25, 1994 Northern Pike 2,000 2.0"
Jun 11, 1993 Northern Pike 1,000 2.0"

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

📅 Stocking Forecast

Based on 5 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: May.
Peak Stocking Months
May Jun Aug
Most Stocked Species
Rainbow Trout Northern Pike Yellow Perch

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

⚓ Pencil Lake Boat Launches

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

💡 Angler Tips for Pencil Lake

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🌤 Current Pencil Lake Weather Conditions

No coordinates on file for this lake.
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🔗 Resources

📋 DNR Stocking Database 📖 Michigan Fishing Guide (PDF) 🎣 Log a catch here