Bluegill Lakes in Michigan, 160 Lakes

Bluegill is panfish — the family of smaller, abundant species that anchor kid-friendly fishing and ice-fishing in Michigan. Documented in 1,550 lakes across our dataset. Bluegill is widely distributed: 1,390 lakes in Minnesota and 160 in Michigan. That breadth means anglers across most of the coverage area can find a documented Bluegill lake within a reasonable drive.

Panfish species like Bluegill tolerate a wide range of water quality, so their presence in a lake says less about the lake than the absence of a game-fish would. Cross-reference the Bluegill lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Bluegill documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

160

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Bluegill Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented bluegill.

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Best Bluegill Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	14 ft	27 ft
2	Emerald Lake	Kent	11.5 ft	-
3	Sawyer Lake	Dickinson	7 ft	20 ft
4	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	14 ft	-
5	Lake George	Clare	9.5 ft	25 ft
6	Derby Lake	Montcalm	14 ft	87 ft
7	Duck Lake	Muskegon	11 ft	-
8	Muskellunge Lake	Kent	13.5 ft	-
9	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
10	Clear Lake	Jackson	10.5 ft	34 ft
11	Big Star Lake	Lake	9 ft	-
12	Crystal Lake	Washtenaw	12.5 ft	-
13	Round Lake	Lenawee	12.3 ft	67 ft
14	Devils Lake	Lenawee	11 ft	-
15	Sylvan Lake	Oakland	10.3 ft	-
16	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	13.5 ft	-
17	Gun Lake	Mason	14 ft	22 ft
18	Round Lake	Benzie	15 ft	-
19	Crystal Lake	Hillsdale	9.5 ft	-
20	Otter Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
21	Perch Lake	Otsego	11.3 ft	-
22	Twin Lakes	Oakland	5 ft	-
23	Twin Lakes	Crawford	19 ft	-
24	Loon Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
25	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	10.5 ft	52 ft
26	Lime Lake	Benzie	17.5 ft	25 ft
27	Crooked Lake	Emmet	-	50 ft
28	Spring Lake	Emmet	-	-
29	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	8.5 ft	25 ft
30	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	7 ft	34 ft
31	Bass Lake	Leelanau	11.2 ft	-
32	Lake George	Keweenaw	8 ft	-
33	Pleasant Lake	Oakland	10 ft	-
34	Walloon Lake	Emmet	-	-
35	North Pond	Chippewa	1.3 ft	-
36	Round Lake	Shiawassee	6 ft	-
37	Sanford Lake	Benzie	17 ft	-
38	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	13 ft	50 ft
39	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	12.5 ft	-
40	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	12.5 ft	95 ft
41	Crooked Lake	Barry	12 ft	-
42	Clifford Lake	Montcalm	10 ft	-
43	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
44	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	14 ft	-
45	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	14.5 ft	-
46	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	11 ft	40 ft
47	Pleasant Lake	Wexford	9 ft	10 ft
48	Silver Lake	Van Buren	9.5 ft	-
49	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8 ft	70 ft
50	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	10.5 ft	42 ft

Showing top 50 of 160 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have bluegill?

Bluegill are found in 160 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best bluegill lakes in Michigan?

The best bluegill lakes in Michigan by water quality are Rennie Lake, Emerald Lake, Sawyer Lake, Hanbury Lake, Lake George.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.