Grass Pickerel Lakes in Michigan, 42 Lakes

Rough fish like Grass Pickerel are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 42 Michigan 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.

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Grass Pickerel Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented grass pickerel.

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Best Grass Pickerel Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
2	Clear Lake	Jackson	10.5 ft	34 ft
3	Round Lake	Lenawee	12.3 ft	67 ft
4	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	13.5 ft	-
5	Round Lake	Benzie	15 ft	-
6	Lime Lake	Benzie	17.5 ft	25 ft
7	Little Portage Lake	Washtenaw	11 ft	-
8	Round Lake	Shiawassee	6 ft	-
9	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
10	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	14.5 ft	-
11	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	11 ft	40 ft
12	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8 ft	70 ft
13	Clear Lake	Ogemaw	15 ft	50 ft
14	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8.5 ft	70 ft
15	Lake Fenton	Genesee	17.5 ft	90 ft
16	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	23 ft	80 ft
17	Eagle Lake	Cass	7 ft	35 ft
18	Wall Lake	Barry	10 ft	36 ft
19	Bear Lake	Manistee	11 ft	6 ft
20	White Lake	Muskegon	6.8 ft	-
21	Eagle Lake	Allegan	15 ft	-
22	Evans Lake	Lenawee	14 ft	42 ft
23	White Lake	Oakland	13 ft	-
24	Jordan Lake	Barry	7.5 ft	-
25	Portage Lake	Jackson	8.8 ft	40 ft
26	Mud Lake	Oakland	11 ft	-
27	Clear Lake	Oakland	11 ft	-
28	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	24.3 ft	88 ft
29	Round Lake	Oakland	10.5 ft	15 ft
30	Round Lake	Oakland	10 ft	-
31	Long Lake	Benzie	9 ft	-
32	Baldwin Lake	Cass	9 ft	-
33	Long Lake	Cass	10.5 ft	42 ft
34	Lake of the Woods	Branch	10 ft	70 ft
35	Baldwins Lake	Cass	8 ft	55 ft
36	Kimball Lake	Newaygo	4.5 ft	40 ft
37	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	8 ft	-
38	Round Lake	Shiawassee	6.5 ft	-
39	Paw Paw Lake	Kalamazoo	9 ft	50 ft
40	Long Lake	Cheboygan	18 ft	61 ft
41	Round Lake	Kent	8 ft	-
42	Donnell Lake	Cass	-	-

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have grass pickerel?

Grass Pickerel are found in 42 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best grass pickerel lakes in Michigan?

The best grass pickerel lakes in Michigan by water quality are Murray Lake, Clear Lake, Round Lake, Whitefish Lake, Round Lake.

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