TMK, a couple of generalities for you.

Scales tend to be more useful in the north country than the south country, so you have a reasonable chance. However, it is still an "art" to age scales or even other structures such as otoliths. One good example of the art: it's usually hard to spot the first annual mark on a bluegill scale. It tends not to be nearly as distinct as the later annual marks.

You will have your best luck aging your fish for the first 3-4 years of life. For older fish, we tend to underestimate true age from scales. The annual marks can get pretty closely spaced, and hard to distinguish. However, you should be able to get some idea of growth rates for your fish for the first several years of life, which is very useful information.

Even in Michigan, if most biologists wanted to know the most accurate ages of a sample of fish (say largemouth bass or walleye up to age 10), they'd likely want to use something like the otoliths.

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From Bob Lusk: Dr. Dave Willis passed away January 13, 2014. He continues to be a key part of our Pond Boss family...and always will be.