Northern Longear Sunfish Fishing Guide: 64 Lakes

Rough fish like Northern Longear Sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 64 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. Northern Longear Sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 64 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 Northern Longear Sunfish lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Northern Longear Sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Northern Longear Sunfish Seasonal Forecast & Techniques

Part of the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast. Spawn trigger: Colonial bedders — fan spawning beds in warm shallow bays at 67–80°F, late spring into summer. Forage: Insects, larvae, zooplankton, small invertebrates. 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 1–6 ft	spawning beds in warm bays, near cover	small jigs, live worm/waxworm under a float
Summer	weed edges 5–15 ft	deeper weed edges by midsummer, docks, brush	ice-jigs tipped with plastics/live bait, small flies
Fall	mid 8–18 ft	deeper weedlines and basin edges	small jigs vertically, tiny spoons
Winter / Ice	8–20 ft	basin holes and deep weed edges	tungsten ice jigs with waxworms/plastics

Clear-water tactics:tiny natural jigs, light linesmall flies & plasticsStained-water tactics:brighter jigs & a little scentslower presentations

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

53 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Northern Longear Sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with northern longear sunfish, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Derby Lake	Montcalm	MI	87 ft	12
2	Muskellunge Lake	Kent	MI	-	10
3	Murray Lake	Kent	MI	-	29
4	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	67 ft	25
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	-	21
6	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	-	37
7	Little Platte Lake	Benzie	MI	8 ft	8
8	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	45 ft	9
9	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	-	9
10	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	MI	52 ft	11
11	Lime Lake	Benzie	MI	25 ft	15
12	Spring Lake	Emmet	MI	-	15
13	Cordley Lake	Livingston	MI	31 ft	7
14	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	-	37
15	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	50 ft	25
16	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	-	15
17	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	MI	95 ft	22
18	Lake Ann	Benzie	MI	75 ft	10
19	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	60 ft	40
20	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	MI	-	13
21	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	MI	40 ft	21
22	Silver Lake	Van Buren	MI	-	15
23	Avery Lake	Montmorency	MI	-	9
24	Clark Lake	Jackson	MI	50 ft	19
25	Lake Fenton	Genesee	MI	90 ft	22
26	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	35 ft	22
27	Muskellunge Lake	Montcalm	MI	37 ft	12
28	Windover Lake	Clare	MI	60 ft	8
29	Farewell Lake	Jackson	MI	43 ft	18
30	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	MI	65 ft	21
31	Harwood Lake	Cass	MI	50 ft	11
32	White Lake	Muskegon	MI	-	17
33	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	-	15
34	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	-	30
35	Evans Lake	Lenawee	MI	42 ft	19
36	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	25 ft	18
37	White Lake	Oakland	MI	-	17
38	Viking Lake	Otsego	MI	25 ft	18
39	Middle Lake	Lapeer	MI	-	20
40	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	88 ft	40
41	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	15 ft	37
42	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	-	37
43	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	-	40
44	Clark Lake	Livingston	MI	40 ft	20
45	Baldwin Lake	Cass	MI	-	25
46	Silver Lake	Genesee	MI	-	15
47	Long Lake	Cass	MI	42 ft	25
48	Diamond Lake	Newaygo	MI	25 ft	25
49	Baldwins Lake	Cass	MI	55 ft	33
50	Silver Lake	Lenawee	MI	26 ft	15

Showing top 50 of 64 lakes with northern longear sunfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have northern longear sunfish?

Northern Longear Sunfish are documented in 64 lakes: 64 in Michigan.

What are the best lakes for northern longear sunfish?

The best northern longear sunfish lakes by water quality are Derby Lake, Muskellunge Lake, Murray Lake, Round Lake, Whitefish Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings among all lakes where northern longear sunfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with northern longear sunfish?

Northern Longear Sunfish are most commonly found alongside northern longear sunfish, bluntnose minnow, largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Northern Longear Sunfish Lakes

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 63 lakes · 160 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 55 lakes · 2,489 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 54 lakes · 1,550 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 54 lakes · 1,577 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 45 lakes · 1,328 total

Iowa Darter Lakes

Found together in 44 lakes · 126 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.