Best Places To Fish in Michigan
Michigan is a fisherman's paradise, boasting a plethora of excellent fishing spots throughout the state. The purpose of this page is to share information about the best fishing lakes in the state, listed by species.
Some of the best places to fish in Michigan include the Great Lakes, such as Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and Lake Huron, which offer an abundance of fishing opportunities. Anglers can target popular species such as salmon, trout, walleye, and perch in these expansive bodies of water. Inland lakes like Lake St. Clair, Houghton Lake, and Burt Lake are also renowned for their fishing opportunities, with species like bass, pike, muskellunge, and panfish attracting anglers year-round. Michigan's diverse rivers and streams, including the Au Sable River, Manistee River, and Pere Marquette River, are famous for their trout fishing, with anglers seeking rainbow, brown, and brook trout in their pristine waters. With its rich variety of fishing locations and popular species, Michigan offers something for every angler, making it a top destination for fishing enthusiasts.
There are many awesome places to fish in the Great Lakes State. Anglers can choose from untold numbers of lakes and rivers to fish in the state. There is also a wide variety of species to pursue. This includes plenty of ice fishing in winter. Although they provide excellent fishing for many species, we are omitting the Great Lakes from consideration here, due to their size and complexity.
Michigan's Top-Five, Amazing Fishing Spots
- Lake St Clair in the southeast corner of the state
- Burt Lake in the northern tip of the LP
- Hubbard Lake in the northeast part of the LP
- Houghton Lake in the northeast part of the LP
- Lake Leelanau in northwest corner of the LP
With more than 10,000 lakes in Michigan, many of which provide good fishing opportunities, it is difficult to select the best five. These however, have a long-standing reputation for delivering over time. Learn more...
Most Popular Fish Species In Michigan
Two species of bass, four species of trout, walleye, both species of crappie, a dozen species of sunfish, and many other species can be found in statewide fishing lakes. Identifying the best place to fish in Michigan depends on a multitude of factors for each species. Learn more...
Best Bass Fishing Lakes In Michigan
- Lake St Clair in the southeast corner of the state
- Lake Charlevoix in the northwest corner of the LP
- Mullett Lake in the northern tip of the LP
Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing can be found virtually everywhere across the state. These three may be considered by many to be the best places to fish for bass in the state, but there are so many other lakes, that at times, could compete to be on this list. Learn more...
Top Places To Fish For Trout In Michigan
- Hubbard Lake in the northeast part of the LP
- Burt Lake in the northern tip of the LP
- Lake St Clair in the southeast corner of the state
Great trout fishing in streams and rivers is abundant here. As this site focuses on lake fishing, we chose these three for consistently delivering rewarding trout fishing to anglers of all skill levels. Learn more...
Best Walleye Fishing Lakes In Michigan
- Mullett Lake in the northern tip of the LP
- Lake Gogebic in the western part of the UP
- Lake Leelanau in northwest corner of the LP
Walleye put up a good fight and are very tasty as table fare. Fortunately Michigan has hundreds of good walleye fishing lakes. These three are a great place to start your search for big schools of walleye, as are many others. Learn more...
Top Places To Fish For Crappie In Michigan
- Lake St Clair in the southeast corner of the state
- Hamlin Lake in the northwest part of the LP
- Houghton Lake in the northeast part of the LP
The popularity of crappie fishing across the state. Both black and white crappie can be caught at nearly half of the larger fishing lakes in the state. These three lakes have been delivering quantity and quality for many years. They are considered by many slab anglers to be among the best places to fish for crappie in the state. Learn more...
Best Lakes To Fish For Sunfish In Michigan
- Hamlin Lake in the northwest part of the LP
- Long Lake in the northeast corner of the LP
- Houghton Lake in the northeast part of the LP
Sunfish are often a significant element of the food chain in most fisheries. While they are prey for larger, predator fish, they can also be fun to catch. Bluegill, perch, white bass, rock bass and numerous other sunfish populate many of the lakes in the state. Finding your best place to fish for sunfish might be determined a lot by convenient location, but these three are good choices as they have delivered over time. Learn more...
Enjoy these top spots to go fishing in Michigan
Find the best places to fish, by state.
102324*