Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Yellow perch tend to inhabit just about every lake in Michigan. But it takes a certain kind of lake or body of water to produce reliable numbers of jumbo yellowbellies.

Generally, larger inland lakes in the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula, along with the Great Lakes bays, produce the most consistent catches of perch during the winter. These larger, more expansive bodies of water provide the habitat, predator/prey relationship and abundant food sources needed to grow big numbers of magnum perch.

The following is a sampling of ice-fishing destinations that are sure to produce the main ingredient of a great perch fry this winter.

ITTLE & BIG GLEN LAKES
Even though Little Glen and Big Glen lakes are connected, they're different like night and day.

Big Glen Lake, at 4,865 acres, is nearly four times as big as Little Glen Lake at 1,400 acres. Little Glen has a maximum depth of 13 feet, while Big Glen has water as deep as 130 feet. But what they do have in common is they are both excellent winter perch fisheries.

"Usually, Little Glen freezes up right about deer season," said avid ice-angler and guide Dave Rose. "It's usually Christmas before Big Glen has good ice on it. Both are hot for jumbo perch on first ice."

Rose said to expect fast action in 8 to 9 feet of water on Little Glen as soon as you can get on the ice. A hotspot is where Little Glen narrows as it connects to Big Glen, but use caution when fishing near this area early in the season. Rose said jumbo yellowbellies in the 10- to 15-inch range are not uncommon then. Rose claims that a lot of the jumbo perch residing in Big Glen migrate into Little Glen in late fall and early winter. First ice usually produces a hot bite.

Because Big Glen Lake is so deep, it's slow to freeze. It also doesn't have a lot of structure. Key to finding good numbers of perch on first ice is to locate weeds adjacent to the first dropoffs in 15 to 20 feet of water, according to Rose. Prime first-ice hotspots are near the narrows in 5 to 25 feet and in the northeast corner of the lake. Later as winter deepens and the ice becomes safe, perch schools roam the 35- to 50-foot depths. The best tactic is to punch a lot of holes and keep moving until you locate the schools. Walleye-sized shiner minnows are the ticket for jumbos that will occasionally top 15 inches.

Access to both lakes can be gained at the public ramp located near the narrows on the east shore of Little Glen Lake. Anglers can also access the lakes via numerous road ends.

For more information on bait shops, lodging and amenities in the area, contact the Leelanau County Chamber of Commerce at (231) 271-9895, or www.leelanauchamber.com