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By Louie Stout
If you like fishing for walleye, you might want to put Gun Lake on your summertime to-do list.
Michigan DNR biologist Matt Diana says stocking programs on the Barry/Allegan County lake have done quite well in recent years.
He was there last year surveying pike and walleye on the 2,680-acre lake and it turned up interesting results.
The Gun Lake Protective Association raises and stocks fish and the DNR supplements the stocking when fish are available. High numbers of small, spring-stocked fish have been planted by the state and local group for years, but the association began buying smaller numbers of the larger fingerlings for fall stocking and it appears to be paying off.
Diana’s crew netted a large number of walleyes that averaged 18 ½ inches with a few bigger ones mixed in.
“We found a lot of year classes, and while we haven’t aged them yet, it looks like they are growing well,” he said. “When we were there in 2015, we found that the walleyes’ average growth rate in that lake is above the state average for this area and I suspect that hasn’t changed.”
Fall-stocked walleyes are fin-clipped at the time of the stocking. The biologist said that they saw evidence of some natural reproduction, but not enough to sustain the fishery.
“Walleye catch rates are lower than we want at Gun but it’s not affecting the quality of the fish,” he said. “Angler feedback shows that quite a few of these fish are being caught.”
Diana added that Gun Lake has a particularly good forage base consisting of chubs, suckers and perch, all of which walleyes feed upon.
“There’s a huge perch population in the lake and the walleyes help keep them, and the bluegill, from becoming overabundant,” he said. “Our take is that both the spring and fall walleye stockings are doing quite well."
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Michiana Sportsman Spotlight
Name: Kevin VanDam
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Occupation: TV host
Favorite species and biggest fish of that species: Smallmouth, 7-9, Wheeler Lake, Ala.
Favorite Michiana lake: Gull Lake
Hobbies when not fishing: Hunting, boating
If you on had one lure and why: For our area, a tube is like a jig in the south. My favorite is a 3 ½-inch Strike King Coffee Tube, green pumpkin
Favorite rod and reel: KVD 7 ½-foot spinning rod and kvd 300 series shallow spool spinning reel. The shallow spool 300 gives you more distance and manages the line better.
Best tip to give a new Michiana angler: There are lots of different lakes and rivers here. Don’t get locked into just one. Remember: different bodies of water can be more productive at different times of the year.
By Louie Stout
Kevin VanDam needs no introduction. He’s the most famous angler to come out of Michiana.
The Kalamazoo, Mich. angler has won more than $7 million, eight Angler of Year titles, four Bassmaster Classic titles and still holds the Classic record for the heaviest weight in a Classic.
He’s retired from pro tournament fishing and now hosts his own television fishing show, "The VanDam Experience” shown on the outdoor channel. New episodes are currently running several times weekly.
While VanDam is a national bass fishing superstar, he attributes much of his success to growing up and fishing throughout the Michiana area.
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By Louie Stout
Cleaning up some notes from 2025…
Eagle Lake Boat Ramp inches forward
There’s some good news regarding the Michigan DNR’s development of a new boat ramp on Eagle Lake in Cass County.
Finally…after months of delays…the state’s Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Division has approved the plans for development of a new access. EGLE had approved them once before, but legal delays forced expiration of the permit, so the DNR had to resubmit its plans.
The permit was approved in early December, but DNR Development Program Manager Jordan Byelich said there are “many steps before the project is constructed.”
“We still have to do plan reviews and get finalizations, gather funding and get other approvals,” he said. “I hope we will move forward with some of these steps in early 2026.”
What he didn’t say - but what can be expected – is the plans will have to be presented before the Ontwa Township board for approval. That will be yet another major hurdle considering the Eagle Lake Improvement Association has spent thousands of dollars fighting the new public access.
We’ll keep you posted as to when that may occur.
Indiana/Michigan deer harvest numbers
As of Dec. 29, Michigan’s total deer harvest for 2025 was down across the board while Indiana had a slight increase compared to last year.
Michigan’s numbers were likely down due to deer diseases that have impacted the herd and perhaps some hunter interest. Those drops in harvest rates were noticeable in several counties along the Michigan Indiana border.
Hunting and fishing license sales also declined slightly.
Indiana, which also was impacted by deer disease in some counties, saw a slight uptick in buck and doe harvest.
Erie walleye booming
The future of Lake Erie walleye and perch continues to shine brightly.
According to Ohio’s Lake Erie biologists, fall surveys of the walleye spawned (3-4 inchers) in the spring revealed last year produced the sixth best in history. Within about two years, those fish will reach the legal length of 15 inches.
The lake is loaded with walleyes from previous year classes which indicate fishing in 2026 should remain superb.
Similar surveys of yellow perch showed another good crop of those fish were produced last spring as well.
Biologists say the lake has lots of forage, good water quality and is in excellent condition.
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Michiana Sportsman Spotlight
By Louie Stout
Name: Jim Horn
Hometown: Buchanan, Mich.
Occupation: Postal Supervisor
Favorite species and biggest fish of that species: Mostly bass, 24 ½-inch largemouth with an 1- inch girth.
Favorite Michiana lake: Diamond Lake
Hobbies when not fishing: Making baits for own use
If you on had one lure and why: ½-ounce black/blue or green pumpkin jig with a craw trailer because it catches big fish. When bass are keying on crawfish, I like a jig with a stand-up head.
Favorite rod and reel: Berkley Lightning Rod with Lew’s Super Duty Baitcaster.
Best tip to give a new Michiana angler: If you’re going to fish the St. Joseph River, practice casting accuracy. First cast needs to be on the money; if you land 8-12 inches away, you probably won’t get bit. Also, clearer the water, the farther you need to stay away from the target.
Jim Horn is a simple man who catches a heckuva lot of fish.
And while bass is his preferred species, he’s put the hurt on a lot of other species, such as walleye, panfish and pike.
His fishing philosophy is a lot different than most anglers’. He doesn’t get too caught up in modern technology or fancy lures.