Perch Fishing Muskegon and White Lake Perch Fishing in Muskegon is getting better every year, and this year is no different. Muskegon isn’t the only place to target. White lake in Whitehall is another lake to look at.
Even though it’s not as good as it was back in the early 80′s it’s very promising. The influx of Perch from Lake Michigan starts in early fall. It’s not uncommon to see large groups of boats in the open water doing very well just before ice up. The fish typically hold through ice fishing well into open water in the spring.
Muskegon lake has two main areas to focus on. The deep water at the West end of the lake just South of the channel is called the Sand Docks. The second main place for Perch action is near Bear Lake Channel. Just south West from Bare Lake Channel is a narrow, deep hole of around 60 feet.
When the Perch are hanging in this area, you can easily mark clusters of fish on the bottom. If boats aren’t present, driving around at ideal with your fish finder set on zoom for the bottom 5 feet is a productive method of finding fish.
White Lake Perch fishing can be just as good. One advantage to fishing White Lake over Muskegon is there is less of an area where migrating fish hold. The West end of the lake, 30 to 40 feet of water, 200 yards south of the channel is where you want to be. One thing to keep in mind when Ice fishing at the White lake is the lack of parking. The best place to park is near the old post office.
There is one parking area right on the lake that allows for six vehicles. 100 yards away across the street from the post office itself is a public parking area for overflow, but it’s a bit of a walk.
Tips for Ice fishing Perch in Muskegon Lake
- Bring at least one pole with a light spring bobber when the fish are biting light.
- Bring a variety of bait. These fish can be extremely fussy. My most consistent baits are Mousie and Spikes.
- When the fish are biting light, use tear drops as small as size 14 and 16.
Tips for Yellow Belly Perch in the weeds
- Stay mobile
- Once you find perch, look at using larger presentations such as walleye minnows. This will prevent the smaller fish from being able to take your bait. This gives the larger fish more opportunity to get to it before a smaller fish takes it.
Muskegon lake perch fishing report
Both Muskegon and White lake have a considerable amount of resident Perch. Ice fishing them can be a bit of a challenge, but the size of these fish can be surprising. If you’re whiling to spend the time, it can be well worth it. The best areas to target are the weed beds. For Muskegon lake, this means the Black Buoy is to Bear lake channel and the Snug harbor area to bear lake. The best depths are 8 to 10 feet. You are looking for holes in the weed beads that create the opportunity for the fish to see you’re baiting.
