Fishing Indian Lake

AKA: Indian Lake - Manistique

Popular Fish Species
Indian Lake Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Amenities
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Indian Lake, MI

Popular Fish Species Indian Lake, MI

Bluegill Fishing

Fishing for bluegill is a time-honored tradition at Indian Lake. Young and old, beginners and seasoned anglers alike, all enjoy catching a bunch of fat bluegill. When the lake freezes over, try your luck at ice fishing. This year, much like recent years, the bluegill population is healthy and always looking for something to eat. Bluegill fishing is as basic as fishing gets. Any pole, reasonably small line and small hooks baited with anything edible, creates the ideal setup. Add a bobber and you can set the depth you prefer the bait to position. Bluegill hang around brush, rocks, vegetation or any cover available. When the lake freezes over, try your luck at ice fishing.

Yellow Perch Fishing

Indian Lake continues to have a very good population of yellow perch, which have been a mainstay in the fishery for decades. Yellow perch are great table fare, and are a food source for many predator fish in the lake as well. Fishing for yellow perch is simple, their primary diet consists of minnows and other small fish, insects and worms. They make for an excellent fish fry, are a food source for many of the larger predator fish in the lake, and they are fun to catch in winter when ice fishing. Yellow perch tend to gather in small groups and hang out on relatively deep structure, near cover and/or drop-offs. Use a small hook and sinker. Bait a small hook with minnows, worms or small jigs using 6 to 10 pound line.

Walleye Fishing

Thanks to good fisheries management, a healthy population of walleye are thriving in the waters of Indian Lake this year. May and June tend to be the best time for weekend anglers to catch them. During this time they tend to move shallower and closer to shore. Other times of the year they are more likely to roam around in deeper water. As always, staying close by schools of baitfish. They are eager to feed throughout the lake, but tend to concentrate around structure on points, flats and ledges off the river channels. A proven method for catching walleye here is trolling with spinners tipped with live bait, or trolling with long-billed, deep diving crankbaits. However casting live bait, jigs, worms and spoons also works well at times. When the lake freezes over in winter, ice fishing for walleye can be very productive. Use GPS to locate spots you normally fish during other times of the year.

Indian Lake Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass, warmouth, yellow perch, bowfin, longnose gar and northern pike at Indian Lake in Michigan.

Home to a wide variety of fish species, Indian Lake is an 8,700-acre lake in the south-center part of the upper peninsula, at the town of Manistique. Anglers can traverse about 15 miles of shoreline from a boat, or in some areas fishing from the bank. Best known for walleye, rock bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike, the lake is also home to inviting schools of crappie, trout, perch, sunfish and catfish. The lake gets light fishing pressure, so the fishing can be excellent at times. Ice fishing can be very good, especially for fat yellow perch.

Primary fish species residing in Indian Lake

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Indian Lake Amenities

Marina: NO
Boat Rental: YES
Boat Launch Ramp: YES
Campgrounds: YES
RV Hookups: YES
Lodging: YES
Convenience Store: NEARBY
Bait & Tackle: NEARBY
Restaurant: NEARBY

Today's Weather & Forecast

Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Indian Lake Boat Launch Ramp
Located mid lake, west side, off County Road 455, this is a one-lane, gravel ramp with gravel parking.

Indian Lake Campground Boat Launch Ramp
Located in the southeast corner of the lake, off County Road 442, this is a two-lane, concrete ramp with a dock and paved parking.