Grass Pickerel Fishing Guide: 42 Lakes by Water Quality

Rough fish like Grass Pickerel are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 42 the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Grass Pickerel is narrowly distributed — only 42 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Grass Pickerel lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Grass Pickerel documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Grass Pickerel Seasonal Forecast & Techniques

Part of the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast. Spawn trigger: One of the earliest spawners — flooded marshy shallows right after ice-out at 40–52°F. Forage: Whatever fits: perch, ciscoes, suckers, panfish. For a forecast tuned to a specific lake's measured clarity and depth, open that lake's forecast.

Season	Where they hold	Structure & cover	Technique
Spring	shallow 2–8 ft	weedy bays, marsh mouths, warming flats	spoons, spinnerbaits, big soft plastics
Summer	weed edges 6–18 ft; big pike deeper/cooler	cabbage/coontail edges, deep weedlines, cool water	large spoons, jerkbaits, dead-bait for big fish
Fall	variable 6–25 ft	deep weed edges, drop-offs, cisco/tullibee lakes	big swimbaits, sucker/dead-bait rigs — trophy season
Winter / Ice	6–20 ft	weed edges and flats	tip-ups with large shiners/suckers

Clear-water tactics:jerkbaits & bucktailsnatural perch/cisco colorsStained-water tactics:bladed & rattling baitsbright chartreuse/orange, big profile

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

51 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Grass Pickerel Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with grass pickerel, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Murray Lake	Kent	MI	-	29
2	Clear Lake	Jackson	MI	34 ft	17
3	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	67 ft	25
4	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	-	21
5	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	-	37
6	Lime Lake	Benzie	MI	25 ft	15
7	Little Portage Lake	Washtenaw	MI	-	1
8	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	-	37
9	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	60 ft	40
10	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	MI	-	13
11	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	MI	40 ft	21
12	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	70 ft	25
13	Clear Lake	Ogemaw	MI	50 ft	16
14	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	70 ft	26
15	Lake Fenton	Genesee	MI	90 ft	22
16	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	MI	80 ft	13
17	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	35 ft	22
18	Wall Lake	Barry	MI	36 ft	18
19	Bear Lake	Manistee	MI	6 ft	14
20	White Lake	Muskegon	MI	-	17
21	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	-	30
22	Evans Lake	Lenawee	MI	42 ft	19
23	White Lake	Oakland	MI	-	17
24	Jordan Lake	Barry	MI	-	23
25	Portage Lake	Jackson	MI	40 ft	34
26	Mud Lake	Oakland	MI	-	12
27	Clear Lake	Oakland	MI	-	16
28	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	88 ft	40
29	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	15 ft	37
30	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	-	37
31	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	-	40
32	Baldwin Lake	Cass	MI	-	25
33	Long Lake	Cass	MI	42 ft	25
34	Lake of the Woods	Branch	MI	70 ft	16
35	Baldwins Lake	Cass	MI	55 ft	33
36	Kimball Lake	Newaygo	MI	40 ft	20
37	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	MI	-	4
38	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	-	37
39	Paw Paw Lake	Kalamazoo	MI	50 ft	4
40	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	61 ft	40
41	Round Lake	Kent	MI	-	37
42	Donnell Lake	Cass	MI	-	26

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have grass pickerel?

Grass Pickerel are documented in 42 lakes: 42 in Michigan.

What are the best lakes for grass pickerel?

The best grass pickerel lakes by water quality are Murray Lake, Clear Lake, Round Lake, Whitefish Lake, Round Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings among all lakes where grass pickerel have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with grass pickerel?

Grass Pickerel are most commonly found alongside grass pickerel, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, pumpkinseed, iowa darter. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Grass Pickerel Lakes

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 40 lakes · 1,550 total

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 160 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 36 lakes · 1,328 total

Iowa Darter Lakes

Found together in 35 lakes · 126 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 35 lakes · 2,489 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 35 lakes · 1,577 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.