Northern longear sunfish Lakes in Michigan

Found in 68 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Northern longear sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 68 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Northern longear sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 68 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 LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Northern longear sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Northern longear sunfish Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township	Clare	A	15 ft	-
2	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	A	16 ft	-
3	Windover Lake	Clare	A	15 ft	-
4	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	A	16.8 ft	-
6	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
7	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	A	16 ft	-
8	Avery Lake	Montmorency	A	27 ft	-
9	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
10	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
11	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
12	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
13	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	A	32 ft	-
14	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
15	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
16	Bass Lake Northeast Basin	Kalkaska	A	18.5 ft	-
17	Spring Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
18	Elk Lake	Antrim	A	-	-
19	Cordley Lake Central Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	-	-
20	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	A	11.5 ft	-
21	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	A	11.8 ft	-
22	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
23	Upper Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	A	11 ft	-
24	Au Sable Lake East Central Basin,Goodar Township	Ogemaw	A	10.5 ft	-
25	Long Lake	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
26	Lake Ann	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
27	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	B	11.5 ft	-
28	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	B	11.5 ft	-
29	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
30	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
31	Farewell Lake	Jackson	B	11.5 ft	-
32	Clark Lake	Livingston	B	12 ft	-
33	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	B	7.2 ft	-
34	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	11.5 ft	-
35	Eagle Lake	Allegan	B	14 ft	-
36	Silver Lake	Genesee	B	12 ft	-
37	Round Lake	Oakland	B	10 ft	-
38	Long Lake	Benzie	B	11.5 ft	-
39	Devils Lake	Lenawee	B	10.8 ft	-
40	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	B	10 ft	-
41	Deer Lake	Charlevoix	B	11.5 ft	-
42	Mullett Lake	Cheboygan	B	13 ft	-
43	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
44	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	B	12.3 ft	-
45	Lower Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	B	12.3 ft	-
46	Elk Lake	Antrim	B	14.5 ft	-
47	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	B	11 ft	-
48	Round Lake	Lenawee	B	12.5 ft	-
49	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	12 ft	-
50	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	B	8 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 68 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have northern longear sunfish?

Northern longear sunfish are found in 68 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best northern longear sunfish lakes in Michigan?

The best northern longear sunfish lakes in Michigan by water quality are Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township, Corey Lake, Windover Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.