Fishing Advisories
The Michigan Department of Community Health, which issues fish advisories for all water bodies in Michigan, indicates that the levels of contaminants in White Lake are relatively good in comparison to other inland lakes, and especially good in comparison to rivers and the Great Lakes. The current statewide advisory more than adequately provides safeguards for consumption of fish from White Lake. Information regarding advisories and consumption of fish is available at www.michigan.gov/fishandgameadvisory
June Fishing
The water is warm and the fish are active. Early morning or late evening fishing is recommended. Patience is key because the weed growth is up now and the fish are hiding. But this is not all bad... The main preditors are hungry, and are looking for the small fish to feed on. This means that if you focus on the edge of the weed beds you will have some success.
To best attract the fish, I recommend a faster moving artificial lure, or live bait in conjunction with moving the lure or bait. Live minnows are a great bait, but don't discount the night crawlers. Note - the price of minnows is much less today than night crawlers. Meijer is probably the cheapest for night crawlers: 20 for $3.
On another note, in my last report I stated "Don't be too surprised if you hear or see a large splash in the water near you - it's only a Carp dispersing its eggs." Some people are concerned about Carp in our lake. Although they not a big game fish, Carp provide an ecological balance to our lake. Carp are bottom feeders and help keep the bottom of our lake clean. Yes, they are not what we would consider a glamour fish, but they are there for a reason and have been for many years. They are huge in size, and may have been gold fish at one time from someone's fish tank! Oh well, don't worry - they are a fresh water fish that we have lived with for thousands of years, and will for many more years to come.
6/30/10
Late Spring Fishing
The surface water temperature as of May 6th was 64 degrees. Northern Pike and Walleye season is now open (as of April 30th). Personally I have not caught a Walleye in over 3 years. In a future article I will discuss this, and how to best fish our lake for Walleye. Northern Pike and the Largemouth Bass are very active now. The Bass are currently on their nesting beds, and they protect their young from any predators (other fish).
Note: Bass season does not open until Memorial Day weekend. Mitchell's Marina is having a major Bass tournament that weekend. If interested, you should contact Mitchell's for more information.
The canals are full of green algae blooms, and are almost impossible to fish. Until chemical treatment is applied, your success will be very limited in the canals. The WLCL has been notified of this condition.
I fished the lake on May 6th for little less than 2 hours. The catch was 3 Bass and 2 nice sized Northern Pikes. Not a bad day! Weeds are still very low in the lake, and this makes fishing now very productive at times. Be aware that the lake water level is not as high as most Springs, and the sunken island can present some real issues to your boat and propellers if you are not careful... Fishing on the drop-offs around the sunken island is a recommended area. My Lowrance Fish Finder shows a lot of activity in this area (see the catch mentioned above).
On a separate note, Bluegill, Crappie and Catfish are very plentiful in the lake, and their sizes are getting bigger. The large Pike population in the lake is helping to keep the small Bluegill population down, and therefore game fish are gaining in size. The lake Carp will soon be entering the canals to spawn. Don't be too surprised if you hear or see a large splash in the water near you - it's only a Carp dispersing its eggs.
5/7/10
Early Spring Fishing
Just a reminder... Fishing for bass, walleye, and pike game fish is not allowed during the month of April due to fish spawning and regulation from the DNR. The only fishing allowed is for pan fish, like blue gill and crappie. Walleye and northern pike fishing is allowed starting the first week of May. Bass fishing starts the last week of May.
The "ice off" date for White Lake this year was recorded as Friday March 19, 2010. This is not the earliest ever but it was early.
Spring Fishing Tip: So, you want to catch some fish early in the season? This is great time for fishing since the fish are hungry from the long winter, but remember that the water is still cold. Your catching success will have to take this into account. The fish move very slowly in the early spring, so your lures will have to move slowly too. A fast moving lure will have little if any success. Live bait - like minnows - usually works well in the shallow water on the edge of a drop off (the shallow water is warmer and this is where the fish will be).
Mitchell's Marina is hosting an Opening Day Bass Season Bass Tournament. If you're interested in participating in this fishing tournament drop by Mitchell's for more info.
On another note, a great tool to better understand where the fish are in White Lake is a sonar fishing finder. I purchased one this winter to replace one I had. This is probably one of the most valued tools that I can recommend for the fisherman, but remember it still does not guarantee that you will catch fish. This is still up to you!
3/22/10
Ice Fishing
The ice this year is about 18" thick. If you need some exercise, manually auger a few holes through the ice! For the best fishing locations locate weed structure. The weeds are way down this time of the year - at the bottom 2 feet. Fish in about 10-14 feet of water - deeper water may not have the necessary weed structure. Use minnows or Finnish pimples and jig very slowly, or just use tip-ups with a minnow. The fish are very plentiful... hungry but very slow. Exercise patience. Some days are better than others - but that is fishing. White Lake is a great fishing lake.
Safety First: As the ice eventually thaws, it will melt around the perimeter of the lake first. Exercise extreme caution if you decide to walk on the ice with these conditions. You can break through the ice, and endanger not only yourself but also others. Be smart.
Ice shanties: Please note that as of March 1st all ice shanties must be removed from the lake ice daily. The Michigan DNR will ticket owners from this date forward if any shanties are not removed from the lake.
Game fishing (pike, walleye, bass) is not permitted on White Lake during the month of April due to fish spawning. Bass fishing is not permitted until Memorial Day weekend.
2/28/10
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) Information
Fishing Website
Angler Information
Licenses, Seasons, and Permits
Michigan Fish and How to Catch Them
Send your comments and questions to fishing@wlcl.org
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