Northern Longear Sunfish Lakes in Michigan

Found in 67 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Northern Longear Sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 67 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Northern Longear Sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 67 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

Northern Longear Sunfish Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented northern longear sunfish, colored by water-quality grade.

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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	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	A	11.5 ft	-
3	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	A	10.5 ft	-
4	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	A	11.8 ft	-
5	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	A	8 ft	-
6	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
7	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	A	7.2 ft	-
8	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
9	Little Platte Lake North Basin	Benzie	A	6.5 ft	-
10	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
11	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
12	Upper Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	A	11 ft	-
13	Lower Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	A	12.3 ft	-
14	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
15	Long Lake	Gogebic	A	12 ft	-
16	Cordley Lake Central Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	-	-
17	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
18	Round Lake	Shiawassee	D	6 ft	-
19	Long Lake	Cass	NR	10.5 ft	-
20	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	NR	16 ft	-
21	White Lake	Muskegon	NR	6.8 ft	-
22	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	NR	11.5 ft	-
23	Lake Ann	Benzie	NR	13.8 ft	-
24	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	NR	11.5 ft	-
25	Windover Lake	Clare	NR	15 ft	-
26	Middle Lake	Lapeer	NR	9 ft	-
27	Farewell Lake	Jackson	NR	11.5 ft	-
28	Clark Lake	Livingston	NR	12 ft	-
29	Eagle Lake	Cass	NR	6 ft	-
30	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	NR	16.8 ft	-
31	Muskellunge Lake	Montcalm	NR	9.5 ft	-
32	Round Lake	Mecosta	NR	8.5 ft	-
33	Eagle Lake	Allegan	NR	14 ft	-
34	Harwood Lake	Cass	NR	8.3 ft	-
35	Long Lake	Gogebic	NR	11.5 ft	-
36	Round Lake	Shiawassee	NR	6.5 ft	-
37	Silver Lake	Genesee	NR	12 ft	-
38	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	NR	7.5 ft	-
39	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	NR	16 ft	-
40	Round Lake	Oakland	NR	10 ft	-
41	Long Lake	Benzie	NR	11.5 ft	-
42	Silver Lake	Van Buren	NR	9.5 ft	-
43	Avery Lake	Montmorency	NR	27 ft	-
44	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	NR	24 ft	-
45	Round Lake	Benzie	NR	15 ft	-
46	Diamond Lake	Osceola	NR	16 ft	-
47	Green Lake	Allegan	NR	8 ft	-
48	Devils Lake	Lenawee	NR	10.8 ft	-
49	Green Lake Southwest Basin; Leighton Township	Allegan	NR	8 ft	-
50	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	NR	10 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 67 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have northern longear sunfish?

Northern Longear Sunfish are found in 67 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is A (Excellent).

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, Silver Lake, Long Lake South Central Basin, Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township, Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township.

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