Where are the perch in Michigan?


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Michigan City typically has the most consistent summer perch bite and the highest catch rate. The most popular places are near Mt. Baldy and Black Ditch, just to the west of Mt. Baldy in 20-40 feet of water.

Where is the best perch fishing in Michigan?

Good fishing for perch can be found out of numerous Lake Michigan ports, the Les Cheneaux Islands area of northern Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. Inland lakes with notable perch fisheries include Gogebic, Independence, Burt, Hubbard, Crystal, Higgins and Elk.

Where can I find big perch ice fishing?

At first ice, look for perch near or in areas still holding healthy weeds in lakes. Bays, slow-tapering drop offs near weed lines, soft-bottom zones, flats, or reefs are all good areas. In rivers, look for perch in similar areas but out of the main river current.

Where is the best perch fishing?

Fishing piers and docks are especially some of the best yellow perch fishing spots during warm months. If your favorite lake has one, pick a comfortable sitting spot, bait a lightly weighted hook with a small live minnow, release the bait to the bottom, then relax until a perch bites. Most times, that’s all it takes.

How do you get jumbo perch?

YouTube video

What depth is best for ice fishing perch?

Ice anglers typically target perch on flats in 20 to 35 feet of water during most of the winter season. Although, early season perch can be caught in 12 to 15 feet before the aquatic plants start to die off.

What is the best bait for perch ice fishing?

  • Northland Lures Buck Shot Spoon or Forage Minnow – In Super Glo Chub.
  • Jensen Eggs/Pautzki Eggs – Orange Shrimp.
  • Live Minnows.
  • Super Small Tungsten Jig Heads.
  • Small grubs or Mizmo Tubes.

What colors do perch like ice fishing?

In dark water (or when perch are scattered in clear water) flash lures work well. The bigger the lure, the more flash and vibration. Most flash lures for perch weigh 1/8 to 1/4 ounce. Phosphorescent or metallic lures, like gold-silver, green, and orange attract perch.

Is there a size limit on perch in Michigan?

i) The daily possession limit for Yellow Perch shall be twenty-five (25), with no more than five (5) Yellow Perch 12 inches or greater.

Why are there no perch in Lake Erie?

A combination of factors over recent years, most notably poor hatches, has decimated the Lake Erie perch population, especially in the central basin, from Huron east to Fairport Harbor.

What happened to the perch in Lake Michigan?

Lake Michigan perch have suffered from extremely poor recruitment, or survival of young fish, since the early 1990s. Most researchers link the decline of the native fish to drastic changes in the lake’s food web brought on by invasive zebra and quagga mussels in the last several decades.

What is the best time to fish for perch?

Because perch live a life of danger, they favor day over night for feeding, and are most active just after sunrise and in the late afternoon, just before sundown. The only time you’ll find perch active after dark is during the spawn, when the spring water temps rise to between 44 and 55 degrees.

What size perch is worth keeping?

I find that 9-11 are the best keepers. 12+ the rib cage gets a lot more rugged and they’re hard to clean, and you don’t get that much more meat from a 13 than from an 11. Big ones are great for a picture, but 9-11 is ideal for eating.

Where are the biggest perch caught?

Adam Mann of Wisconsin just caught a 16.25-inch long perch that weighed a whopping 3.22lbs, setting a new Idaho state record. The fish came from the famed Lake Cascade, which is undoubtedly the best place in the country to catch a truly giant yellow perch.

How old is a 2lb perch?

Within 4-years, such fish can reach 2lb in weight.

How old is a 15 inch perch?

we also did some scale samples. There were some perch that were 15 inches that were 5-7 years old and then there were some that were that size that were 12 years old.

How old is a 6 inch perch?

Males and females mature when they are 1-2 years old or at a length of 15 centimeters (6 inches) long. Spawning take place primarily in the spring in southern California and in the late summer-early fall in central California. There may also be year-round spawning in some southern California areas.

How do you attract perch ice fishing?

YouTube video

What is the biggest perch ever caught?

That’s because, in 2014, a 12-year-old girl from Eagle caught a 15.5-inch, 2-pound, 11.68-ounce whopper โ€“ giving her the world record for the largest perch ever caught on a tip-up.

How do you target a large perch?

YouTube video

What line do you use for ice-fishing perch?

Chances are, that sediment will attract perch, and you’ll be pulling them onto the ice in no time! Use a leader – Especially in clear water, a leader will land more fish. We recommend 2 to 4-pound braided line with a 2 to 3-foot fluorocarbon leader. That combo is incredibly sensitive and all but invisible.

What is the best month to ice fish?

March is my favorite month for ice-fishing. The days are longer, the weather isn’t as cold, and the fish like to get caught in March. Following are some things to keep in mind to catch more fish through the ice until the end of the ice season.

Is it better to ice fish in shallow or deep water?

For the most part, where you find the fish in the spring and fall will be the same place you’ll find them in the winter. In my experience, I’ve found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20 feet deep.

What depth do perch like in winter?

The typical depths are 19 to 36 feet. Shallower mudflats in 8 to 12 feet are used primarily when the vegetation is still green. If plants are dead, perch move to deeper flats.

What color do perch like?

Perch typically respond well to bright colors like white and chartreuse, but they may also bite more natural brown and green tones that imitate crayfish and other prey.

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