Gun Lake Fishing
A 2,737-acre Michigan lake in Barry County.
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Gun Lake in brief
The state lake layer measures Gun Lake at 2,737 acres; it lies in Barry County. For fuel and groceries, Martin is about 8 miles off. It sits on the Lower Peninsula inside the Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit of the MDNR. It drains to the Southeastern Lake Michigan watershed in the Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains ecoregion.
The MDNR lists catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass and sunfish here. Trailers launch at 3 public launches. Summer satellite readings put clarity near 6 feet in 2023. It carries the MDNR Family Friendly Fishing tag.
For the catfish herePiscifun Chaos XS round baitcaster36% OFFSale $57.99 The fish list for Gun Lake
These fish come from MDNR records for Gun Lake: Fish Atlas collections from 1970 on, fishing site lists, stocking and records.
Fish Atlas tally for Gun Lake
| Species | Atlas records | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Mimic shiner | 2 | 1950 |
| Northern logperch | 2 | 1935 to 1950 |
| Rock bass | 2 | 1950 |
| Spottail shiner | 2 | 1950 |
| Blacknose shiner | 1 | 1950 |
| Bluntnose minnow | 1 | 1950 |
| Emerald shiner | 1 | 1950 |
| Grass pickerel | 1 | 1950 |
| Green sunfish | 1 | 1950 |
| Johnny darter | 1 | 1950 |
| Largemouth bass | 1 | 1950 |
| Northern pike | 1 | 1950 |
| Smallmouth bass | 1 | 1950 |
| Spotfin shiner | 1 | 1950 |
MDNR Fish Atlas and Family Friendly Fishing lists, MDNR stocking table, checked October 2026. Older collections are history, not a current survey.
Where to launch on Gun Lake
- Yankee Springs Recreation Area Day Use Boat Access4 lanes, 75 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Recreation Passport; Yankee Springs State Recreation Area
- Gun Lake County Park2 lanes, 34 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, Recreation Passport; Allegan County
- Yankee Springs Recreation Area Campground Boat Access1 lane, courtesy pier, Recreation Passport; Yankee Springs State Recreation Area
Fishing from land at Gun Lake
- Gun Lake fishing site, Yankee Springs Township & Orangeville Township and Shelbyville in Wayland Township.fishing pier, pier
Boat launches by Gun Lake
- Long Lake Boat Access near MiddlevilleLong Lake, 1 mile north
- Hall Lake Boat Access near MiddlevilleHall Lake, 2 miles northeast
- Williams Lake Boat AccessWilliams Lake, 2 miles north
- Payne Lake Boat AccessPayne Lake, 2 miles north
- McDonald Lake Boat Access near MiddlevilleMcDonald Lake, 2 miles northeast
- Chief Noonday Lake Boat AccessChief Noonday Lake, 3 miles north
MDNR Parks and Recreation boat access sites and MDNR fishing sites, checked October 2026.
Clarity trend at Gun Lake
EGLE averages Landsat images from July to September for Gun Lake; values are converted here from meters to feet.
Chlorophyll a in 2023: 8.77 micrograms per liter.
EGLE Michigan Inland Lakes Water Clarity layer (Landsat, July to September), checked October 2026. Depth is not published here: the layer depth fields are unreliable.
Limits and seasons for Gun Lake
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | 5 in any combination; minimum 14 inches | Possession: Sat. before Memorial Day – Dec. 31; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Walleye (Lower Peninsula) | 5; minimum 15 inches | Last Sat. in April – March 15 |
| Northern pike (Lower Peninsula) | 2; minimum 24 inches | Last Sat. in April – March 15 |
| Muskellunge | Only 1 per angler per license year (April 1 – March 31); mandatory harvest registration within 24 hours; minimum 42 inches (46, 50 or 38 inches on listed waters) | Possession: 1st Sat. in June – March 15; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Yellow perch | 25 | Open all year |
| Sunfish and crappie | 25 in any combination of the listed species | Open all year |
| Channel catfish | 10; minimum 12 inches | Open all year |
| Flathead catfish | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open all year |
| White bass | 10 | Open all year |
| Cisco and whitefish | 5 in any combination | Open all year |
| Burbot | 5 | Open all year |
| Trout in unclassified lakes | 5, no more than 3 of which may be 15 inches or greater; minimum 8 inches | Open all year |
Statewide rows for the Lower Peninsula are shown for Gun Lake; the trout row follows its MDNR lake Type when it has one.
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), statewide tables and county exceptions, checked October 2026.
Hatchery fish released in Gun Lake
Plants at Gun Lake: 6 events, 868,375 fish, 2024 to 2026; top species walleye.
| Date | Species | Strain | Avg length | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 29, 2026 | Walleye | Muskegon | 788,330 | |
| May 28, 2025 | Walleye | Muskegon | 4.3 in | 26,012 |
| November 20, 2025 | Walleye | 17.8 in | 1,000 | |
| May 29, 2024 | Walleye | Muskegon | 2.8 in | 51,045 |
| October 28, 2024 | Walleye | 17.8 in | 1,000 | |
| May 26, 2024 | Walleye | Muskegon | 4.4 in | 988 |
MDNR Fish Stocking Report table, January 2024 to October 2026. Michigan stocking.
Bass and walleye events on Gun Lake
Upcoming Gun Lake events and past winners are collected separately.
Neighbor lakes of Gun Lake, measured
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Clarity ft | Fish listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun Lake | 2,737 | 3 | 6 | 8 | |
| Long Lake near Middleville, Barry County | 1 mile northeast | 148 | 1 | 3.2 | 0 |
| Hall Lake near Middleville, Barry County | 2 miles northeast | 58 | 1 | 11.4 | 0 |
| Williams Lake, Barry County | 2 miles north | 20 | 1 | 7.5 | 0 |
| McDonald Lake, Barry County | 2 miles northeast | 16 | 1 | 5.2 | 0 |
| Payne Lake | 2 miles north | 113 | 1 | 10.6 | 0 |
EGLE inland lake layer, MDNR access sites and Fish Atlas.
What sits close to Gun Lake
Lakes to try next to Gun Lake
- Long Lake near Middleville, Barry County1 mile northeast
- Hall Lake near Middleville, Barry County2 miles northeast
- Williams Lake, Barry County2 miles north
- McDonald Lake, Barry County2 miles northeast
- Payne Lake2 miles north
Where to pick up bait for Gun Lake
- Mar-Bil Marinemarina, Plainwell, 8 miles
- Bob's Gun & Tackle Shopbait and tackle shop, Hastings, 10 miles
- Al & Pete's Sport Shopbait and tackle shop, Hastings, 12 miles
- Caledonia Village ACE Hardwarebait and tackle shop, Caledonia, 13 miles
- Leach Lake Cabins & Resortbait and tackle shop, Hastings, 13 miles
- Plainwell Bait&Tacklebait and tackle shop, plainwell, 13 miles
Charter captains and guides near Gun Lake
- Bachelor One Charterscharter, Holland, (616) 399-6782
- Fishin 4 Trophies Charterscharter, Wyoming, (616) 318-0102
- Getting Bit Guide Servicecharter, Grand Rapids, (616) 570-2946
- reel down outfitterscharter, hastings, (616) 914-7416
Towns that put you close to Gun Lake
- Martin8 miles
- Middleville8 miles
- Wayland8 miles
The counties around Gun Lake
- Barry Countyseat: Hastings
Piscifun spinning and baitcasting picks for Gun Lake
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Identifying the fish of Gun Lake
Photo: Robert Colletta, Public domain
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Photo: Duane Raver, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Nick Loveland, CC0
What to know ahead of a day at Gun Lake
Which MDNR unit manages Gun Lake?
Barry County, Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit, about 8 miles from Martin.
What surface area does EGLE give Gun Lake?
The state layer shows 2,737 acres.
Is there a ramp for trailers on Gun Lake?
3 public launches, led by Yankee Springs Recreation Area Day Use Boat Access.
What bites in Gun Lake?
Expect catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, sunfish and walleye.
What are the walleye limits on Gun Lake?
Walleye (Lower Peninsula): 5; minimum 15 inches; season Last Sat. in April – March 15.
What does a visitor from out of state pay for Gun Lake?
Anglers 17 and older carry a Michigan all-species fishing license: $26 a year for residents, $76 for nonresidents, $11 for seniors or $10 for one day.
How far can you see into Gun Lake?
About 6 feet of Secchi depth in 2023, from EGLE satellite data.
Which tackle store sits handiest to Gun Lake?
Mar-Bil Marine is the nearest, 8 miles away.
When was Gun Lake last stocked?
The 2026 record lists 788,330 walleye.
Line up a day on Gun Lake
Michigan license prices and limits are one click away.