Fishing McCollum Lake

McCollum Lake offers diverse panfish opportunities despite slow growth across all species. Bluegill dominate the fishery with 12% reaching 8+ inches, though it takes about 8 years to reach that size due to growth rates one inch below state average. The lake holds 11 year classes of bluegill up to age 12, meaning patient anglers can find quality fish. Pumpkinseed sunfish and rock bass provide additional panfish variety, with fair numbers of large specimens available. Black crappie reach 12 inches but aren't abundant, while yellow perch grow nearly two inches slower than average statewide. Northern pike are the primary predator at 2.0 fish per acre, but less than 6% reach the 24-inch legal size due to extremely slow growth - more than 3 inches behind state averages. Pike can reach 41 inches for those that survive, with estimated density of legal fish only 0.1 per acre. Largemouth bass grow over two inches slower than state average, taking seven years to reach 14-inch legal size, though the population supports fish to 21 inches. A small wild walleye population exists from 1988 stocking, with fish 20-30 inches showing above-average growth, but density is extremely low at 0.2 per acre. Summer thermal stratification confines fish to water less than 20 feet deep due to low dissolved oxygen below the thermocline. The lake's sand and muck bottom with abundant vegetation in the south arm provides good habitat structure, while the diverse age classes across species suggest good survival despite slow growth. Three Michigan Master Angler awards have been recorded - two largemouth bass and one bluegill.