Lake herring Lakes in Michigan

Found in 117 Michigan lakes

Lake herring is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 117 lakes carry documentation. Lake herring is moderately distributed — 117 lakes in Michigan. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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 Lake herring lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Lake herring documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

117

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Lake herring Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Glen Lake	Leelanau	A	15.5 ft	-
2	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	A	16 ft	-
3	Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township	St. Joseph	A	16 ft	-
4	Smoky Lake	Iron	A	24 ft	-
5	Little Bass Lake	Lake	A	18.3 ft	-
6	Indian Lake	Kalkaska	A	16.5 ft	-
7	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
8	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
9	Higgins Lake	Roscommon	A	34 ft	-
10	Square Lake Central Basin; Bloomfield Township	Oakland	A	25 ft	-
11	Square Lake	Oakland	A	23 ft	-
12	Clark Lake	Gogebic	A	15.7 ft	-
13	Crystal Lake	Benzie	A	32 ft	-
14	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
15	Little Bass Lake	Lake	A	19.5 ft	-
16	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
17	Beaver Lake	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
18	Monocle Lake	Chippewa	A	16 ft	-
19	Oxbow Lake	Oakland	A	15 ft	-
20	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
21	Twin Lakes; Grayling Twp	Crawford	A	19 ft	-
22	Torch Lake	Antrim	A	27.5 ft	-
23	Birch Lake	Antrim	A	17 ft	-
24	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
25	Douglas Lake	Otsego	A	16.5 ft	-
26	Hubbard Lake Central Basin	Alcona	A	17 ft	-
27	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
28	Hubbard Lake	Alcona	A	24.5 ft	-
29	Walloon Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
30	Elk Lake	Antrim	A	-	-
31	Big Blue Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	-	-
32	Loon Lake	Benzie	A	12.1 ft	-
33	Bass Lake	Leelanau	A	11.2 ft	-
34	Ore Lake West Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	10 ft	-
35	Siskiwit Lake	Keweenaw	A	19.3 ft	-
36	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
37	Duck Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Fruitland Township	Muskegon	A	10.5 ft	-
38	Coldwater Lake Southeast Basin; Nottawa Township	Isabella	A	10.5 ft	-
39	Loon Lake; Lake Twp	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
40	Portage Lake	Livingston	B	13 ft	-
41	Long Lake	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
42	Lake Ann	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
43	Indian Lake Central Basin; Brady Township	Kalamazoo	B	9.5 ft	-
44	Bear Lake	Manistee	B	11 ft	-
45	Pickerel Lake	Newaygo	B	10 ft	-
46	Big Bass Lake North Basin; Elk Township	Lake	B	14 ft	-
47	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	B	8.3 ft	-
48	Bass Lake	Montcalm	B	10.8 ft	-
49	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
50	Crystal Lake	Montcalm	B	10 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 117 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have lake herring?

Lake herring are found in 117 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best lake herring lakes in Michigan?

The best lake herring lakes in Michigan by water quality are Glen Lake, Corey Lake, Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township, Smoky Lake, Little Bass Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.