Popular Jackson County all-sports lake. Good largemouth bass, walleye, and panfish. Active fishing community.
| Species | Population | Best technique |
|---|---|---|
|
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
|
Small jigs, minnows under a bobber near brush piles | |
|
Lepomis macrochirus
|
Worms, crickets, small spinners near docks and weeds | |
|
Amia calva
Called "dogfish" locally
|
Live or cut bait (suckers, chubs), large spinners, swimbaits, and topwater lures near thick weed edges. Use wire leader -- bowfin have sharp teeth. | |
|
Ameiurus nebulosus
Common night-fishing target
|
Bottom fishing at night with nightcrawlers, chicken liver, stink baits, or cut bait on a simple sinker rig. No need for fancy gear -- a cane pole and worm works fine. | |
|
Ictalurus punctatus
|
Chicken liver, stink bait, night crawlers on bottom | |
|
Cyprinus carpio
Invasive — widespread in warm, shallow bays
|
Corn, boilies, and dough balls on bottom hair rigs ÔÇö or spot-and-stalk with bow fishing gear | |
|
Lepomis cyanellus
|
Small spinners, inline buzzbaits, tiny poppers, worms under a bobber, and small jigs. Will hit nearly any lure presented in the right size. | |
|
Micropterus salmoides
|
Plastic worms, crankbaits, topwater frogs near lily pads | |
|
Lepisosteus osseus
|
Specialized rope or nylon-mesh lures (gar teeth tangle in fibers rather than missing a hook-point); also live baitfish on a wire leader. Standard hooks rarely penetrate the bony jaw. | |
|
Lepomis gibbosus
|
Small worms, crickets, tiny jigs near docks and weed edges ÔÇö same approach as bluegill | |
|
Sander vitreus
|
Jigs with minnows, crawler harnesses, trolling crankbaits | |
|
Morone chrysops
Surface feeding schools in summer
|
Small white jigs, tube jigs, spinners, small crankbaits ÔÇö follow surface activity and work fast | |
|
Pomoxis annularis
|
Small jigs (1/32 to 1/8 oz) in white, chartreuse, or pink; small minnows under a slip-float; tiny crankbaits worked slowly through structure | |
|
Perca flavescens
|
Small jigs tipped with minnow or waxworm, small spinners, ice fishing with teardrops and waxworms | |
|
Esox americanus vermiculatus
Small -- usually caught incidentally in bass/pike habitat
|
Small spinners, jigs, and live bait. Rarely targeted deliberately but caught incidentally in weedy bass habitat. | |
|
Ameiurus natalis
|
Bottom fishing at dusk and night with nightcrawlers or worms. Light tackle is ideal -- yellow bullhead fight well for their size. |
* Records shown are from our database. For the most current data, visit the Michigan DNR directly.