No size Limits on "private lakes"?

[Fowlmouth]

How about this one. I was at the local bait shop yesterday and wanted to double check the size limit for pike. I asked the fisherman next to me and his answer was "If your going to fish on this private lake here, there is no restriction on size. If you fish on a public lake (one that has a DNR boat launch?), the minimum size is 24". This can't be true, can it? What defines a public or private lake. Can you get kicked off of a "private lake" by a shoreline land-owner if you are already on the lake?

[Steve]

Boehr, correct me if I'm wrong but I think the answers are no to #1, and yes to #2. To say that the answer to #1 was yes, would mean that you could shoot deer out of season on your own property if you felt like it. This is not the case therefore I don't think that no fish size restrictions on private land is the case either.

[boehr]

It could be yes or no to either question and difficult to make a general statement. What lake are you asking about?

No access site doesn't necessarily make a lake private. Has the state ever planted fish? Are there any streams or creeks where fish could get into or get out of the lake? Are there any public roads that run alongside the lake?

Best think to do here is call the District Office that the lake is in to find out for sure. Or get me the name of the lake, county the lake is in and I will find out.

[Mike English]

Let me ask a little more specific question on this subject. My dad recently had a pond dug on his property. We have it stocked with 'gils and trout. Can we keep trout out of season? Can we keep them if they are under sized? (We would want to do this if we deep hooked one in the gills or something.) I sure appreciate your participation in this forum.

Thanks,
Mike

[jimbos43]

A private pond surrounded by your own property, stocked with fish from money out of your own pocket constitutes "private" and you can take anything you want whenever you want.

[boehr]

Mike...jimbos43 has answered correctly on your question.

[Fowlmouth]

Boehr, here's a little more info: There are two lakes in Clinton Co., Round Lk. and Lk Victoria. I know that the public road does not directly border Round Lk., but there is a little creek on the south side of it. As far as fish stocking goes, does the DNR publish a list of all the lakes in MI that are,or ever have been, stocked?

[LJA]

The answer is yes. Here's the link: http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/SubIndex.asp?LinkID=41&sec=fish

[Fowlmouth]

LJA-Thanks for the link-very informative. Tell me if I have this right: If a lake is on the DNR stocking list, I can fish in/on it, assuming I can get to it without trespassing (such as canoeing down a small creek from a public road)?

[michiduck]

There is a lake that I have fished on for the past few years and the lake come out all the way to the public road where there is a drainage tube of sorts, this area is large enough to launch a small light weight boat and is an easy walk on point for ice fishing.
The lake has been frequently checked by the DNR while I have been ice fishing and they have told us that we were not actually supposed to be out there, and this year when I went to the lake there was a "No Trespassing" sign right at the mouth of where this lake meets the road (I'm not sure if it was put there by the DNR or who) but I was under the impression that since it came all the way to the road this was a public lake and accessible by anyone. What am I missing here?

[boehr]

If a lake has been stocked or if there is someway for fish to go to and from the lake (stream), you must have a fishing license and obey all size and season limits. You may fish on any lake provided you can access the lake without trespassing. I will attempt to find out about the two lakes you posted, and post tomorrow.

[boehr]

Just because the road runs alongside the lake doesn't always mean that the public can access the lake. How far away from the road is the lake? What is the distance of the right-of-way for that particular road? Most county roads are 33 feet but not always. Does a private property owner own any property between the road and lake? The easiest way to find out if someone is paying taxes on land other that the lake is to go to the county building, tax mapping, and find out. I can try to check it out for you if you leave the name of the lake, county and hopefully the township that this lake is in.

[boehr]

Upon looking at Round Lake and Lake Victoria in Clinton County, it appears to me that Round Lake does have a creek from the lake to the Looking Glass River. Lake Victoria also has a creek running through it, Alder Creek. It is my opinion, from looking at the resources I have, that both lakes require all fishing laws to be obeyed and that anyone can fish those lakes providing they access the lakes legally. I can't tell for sure if those creeks are navigable or not so I would suggest that you contact District 11 and talk with Sgt. Vince Feliciano at 517-625-4600 to make sure about accessing the lake.