Grass Pickerel Lakes in Michigan

Found in 46 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Grass Pickerel are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 46 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Grass Pickerel is narrowly distributed — only 46 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 grade 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 the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Grass Pickerel documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Grass Pickerel Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented grass pickerel, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Grass Pickerel Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	A	10.5 ft	-
2	Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township	Newaygo	A	4.5 ft	-
3	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
4	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	A	7.2 ft	-
5	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
6	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
7	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
8	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
9	Long Lake	Gogebic	A	12 ft	-
10	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
11	Little Portage Lake Northeast Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	11 ft	-
12	Round Lake	Shiawassee	D	6 ft	-
13	Kimball Lake	Newaygo	NR	4.5 ft	-
14	Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township	Cass	NR	7 ft	-
15	Long Lake	Cass	NR	10.5 ft	-
16	Bear Lake	Manistee	NR	11 ft	-
17	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	NR	16 ft	-
18	White Lake	Muskegon	NR	6.8 ft	-
19	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	NR	11.5 ft	-
20	Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township	St. Joseph	NR	16 ft	-
21	Shavehead Lake	Cass	NR	7 ft	-
22	Wall Lake	Barry	NR	9.5 ft	-
23	Eagle Lake	Cass	NR	6 ft	-
24	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	NR	23 ft	-
25	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	NR	16.8 ft	-
26	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	NR	8 ft	-
27	Round Lake	Mecosta	NR	8.5 ft	-
28	Eagle Lake	Allegan	NR	14 ft	-
29	Long Lake	Gogebic	NR	11.5 ft	-
30	Lake of the Woods	Branch	NR	10 ft	-
31	Round Lake	Shiawassee	NR	6.5 ft	-
32	Paw Paw Lake	Kalamazoo	NR	9 ft	-
33	Round Lake	Oakland	NR	10 ft	-
34	Long Lake	Benzie	NR	11.5 ft	-
35	Gun Lake	Mason	NR	14 ft	-
36	Clear Lake	Jackson	NR	10 ft	-
37	Little Portage Lake	Washtenaw	NR	12 ft	-
38	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	NR	24 ft	-
39	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	NR	8 ft	-
40	Round Lake	Benzie	NR	15 ft	-
41	Devils Lake	Lenawee	NR	10.8 ft	-
42	Baldwin Lake Northwest Basin	Cass	NR	8 ft	-
43	Long Lake	Cheboygan	NR	18 ft	-
44	Round Lake	Kent	NR	8 ft	-
45	Baldwins Lake	Cass	NR	8 ft	-
46	Round Lake	Lenawee	NR	12.5 ft	-

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have grass pickerel?

Grass Pickerel are found in 46 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is A (Excellent).

What are the best grass pickerel lakes in Michigan?

The best grass pickerel lakes in Michigan by water quality are Long Lake South Central Basin, Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township, Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township.

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