Good Lakes in West Michigan

[Bucky]

I like to try alot of different lakes and see what I like but I dont no that much good lakes to try to ice fish around here. If you could give me some of the great fishing lakes in west michigan I would appreciate it.:D :D

[DIRTY DOG 2]

how far do ya want to travle i live in allegan and there are several in a 20 mile drive south and east

[buckpole]

My brother lives just outside of Lawton. There is a lake called bankson or bankston, what ever. It is about 7 miles outside of town and has awsome pike and muskie ice fishing. It also has awsome slab crappie fishing. On the way to the lake there is 4 other lakes that I have pulled nice panfish out of. I don't no the names, just how to get there. Find bankson on a map and you will find the others. good luck

[Bucky]

Ya i live in Wayland and i will travel about a 25 mile radius.

[cedarlkDJ]

My brother lives just outside of Lawton. There is a lake called bankson or bankston, what ever. It is about 7 miles outside of town and has awsome pike and muskie ice fishing. It also has awsome slab crappie fishing. On the way to the lake there is 4 other lakes that I have pulled nice panfish out of. I don't no the names, just how to get there. Find bankson on a map and you will find the others. good luck

I grew up on Bankson Lake and my Mother still lives there......there aren't any pike in this lake and muskie closes on Nov. 30th (no spearing or tip-ups allowed!, even tho there are walleye in there????) It's a brood stock lake the DNR uses for muskie and there are some monsters in there!!!....good crappie and perch (average size) fishing tho!

[buckpole]

that is funny I must be full of crap because you can't catch fish. I never stated I targeted muskie but aparently you no how to tell your jig and shiner not to get eaten by muskie. And there are plenty of pike in that lake. Its a stock lake for muskie and it is not illegal to catch one and release them when you are not targeting them. I am at work right now but I will post pictures of myself and my brother on the lake w/ some nice hammers. If you are from the lake than by the picture you will no if its ligit or full of chit. By the way why do people think the only time people catch pike is w/ tipups. I don't even use them and can catch pike on a lake that has muskie only.

[DIRTY DOG 2]

easy now guys

[DIRTY DOG 2]

bucky there are several lake around my house that are good such as minner/emerson/ duck /baseline /in allegan co. ,and a little farther south you have muskrat wich has a lot of small gills but some nice specks also north near goble sweet /hoadge /minkler and eagle hope this helps there all within 15 miles of down town allegan o

[live2fishdjs]

I looked at the DNR Guide (what a novel idea) and the only special regs for Bankson Lake deal with carp spearing and possesion season for Musky.

[byronbaitskimmer]

make sure you check the ice well this snow is not helping around here. there was 5-6in on emerson sunday but Big lake in allegan had alot of thin spots. straight out from the landing there was about 4 1/2 but venturing out into deeper water and it went down to about 3 1/2 with a slush layer under the main crust. lots of dinks in Big if you like to catch and sort. emerson has some better size but you have to move to find them.

[DIRTY DOG 2]

your write byron im not sure how the ice is on emerson now we have nearly 2 ft of snow on the ground hear in the state forest and there was only about 3 in. of ice and 10 in. of snow on iemerson on mon. nit and 4 to 5 in. of slush

[cedarlkDJ]

that is funny I must be full of crap because you can't catch fish. I never stated I targeted muskie but aparently you no how to tell your jig and shiner not to get eaten by muskie. And there are plenty of pike in that lake. Its a stock lake for muskie and it is not illegal to catch one and release them when you are not targeting them. I am at work right now but I will post pictures of myself and my brother on the lake w/ some nice hammers. If you are from the lake than by the picture you will no if its ligit or full of chit. By the way why do people think the only time people catch pike is w/ tipups. I don't even use them and can catch pike on a lake that has muskie only.

gees!........didn't mean to get your panties in a knot!.......If you caught some hammer-handle pike out of there I would believe you!.....a lot of lakes can get populated with them by accident (Blue Heron transporting from lake to lake).....I live over 50 mi. from there now and don't even fish it anymore! (live on my own lake I can fish) but, still go out to see Mom all the time and I have never heard from anyone that lives there catching a pike (a lot of muskie by accident!) I have talked to the DNR and been down to the launch in the spring when they pull their traps and they have never gotten any pike in them or planted them there!.....about 10 yrs. ago they put all of their old brood stock walleye from the Wolf Lake hatchery(7-10lbs.) and a few thousand excess fingerlings they had just to see how they would do. People on the lake started catching them by accident bass fishing and then decided to set tip-ups out in the winter for them, and the DNR came out and told them they could not set tip-ups out because it was protected for the muskie! Rules and regs could be different now, I don't know!!! I'm just going by what people on the lake tell me....would like to see those pics though!!!!........didn't mean to offend you by anymeans!......we're all family here....:grouphug: ....just didn't want to steer somebody there who lives a long ways away!