Northern Longear Sunfish Fishing Guide, 64 Best-Graded 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 grade 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 the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade 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 →

Avg. Grade

53 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Northern Longear Sunfish Lakes

20%

Best Northern Longear Sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with northern longear sunfish ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Derby Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	87 ft	12
2	Muskellunge Lake	Kent	MI	A	-	10
3	Murray Lake	Kent	MI	A	-	29
4	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	A	67 ft	25
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
6	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
7	Little Platte Lake	Benzie	MI	A	8 ft	8
8	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	A	45 ft	9
9	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	9
10	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	MI	A	52 ft	11
11	Lime Lake	Benzie	MI	A	25 ft	15
12	Spring Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	15
13	Cordley Lake	Livingston	MI	A	31 ft	7
14	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	-	37
15	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	50 ft	25
16	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	-	15
17	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	MI	NR	95 ft	22
18	Lake Ann	Benzie	MI	NR	75 ft	10
19	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	NR	60 ft	40
20	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	MI	NR	-	13
21	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	MI	NR	40 ft	21
22	Silver Lake	Van Buren	MI	NR	-	15
23	Avery Lake	Montmorency	MI	NR	-	9
24	Clark Lake	Jackson	MI	NR	50 ft	19
25	Lake Fenton	Genesee	MI	NR	90 ft	22
26	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	NR	35 ft	22
27	Muskellunge Lake	Montcalm	MI	NR	37 ft	12
28	Windover Lake	Clare	MI	NR	60 ft	8
29	Farewell Lake	Jackson	MI	NR	43 ft	18
30	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	MI	NR	65 ft	21
31	Harwood Lake	Cass	MI	NR	50 ft	11
32	White Lake	Muskegon	MI	NR	-	17
33	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	-	15
34	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	NR	-	30
35	Evans Lake	Lenawee	MI	NR	42 ft	19
36	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	25 ft	18
37	White Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	17
38	Viking Lake	Otsego	MI	NR	25 ft	18
39	Middle Lake	Lapeer	MI	NR	-	20
40	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	NR	88 ft	40
41	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	15 ft	37
42	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	37
43	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	-	40
44	Clark Lake	Livingston	MI	NR	40 ft	20
45	Baldwin Lake	Cass	MI	NR	-	25
46	Silver Lake	Genesee	MI	NR	-	15
47	Long Lake	Cass	MI	NR	42 ft	25
48	Diamond Lake	Newaygo	MI	NR	25 ft	25
49	Baldwins Lake	Cass	MI	NR	55 ft	33
50	Silver Lake	Lenawee	MI	NR	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 found in 64 graded lakes: 64 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with northern longear sunfish is A (Excellent).

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 have the highest water quality grades 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 grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.