Northern Longear Sunfish Lakes in Michigan, 64 Lakes

Rough fish like Northern Longear Sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 64 Michigan 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.

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Northern Longear Sunfish Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented northern longear sunfish.

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Best Northern Longear Sunfish Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Derby Lake	Montcalm	14 ft	87 ft
2	Muskellunge Lake	Kent	13.5 ft	-
3	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
4	Round Lake	Lenawee	12.3 ft	67 ft
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	13.5 ft	-
6	Round Lake	Benzie	15 ft	-
7	Little Platte Lake	Benzie	6.5 ft	8 ft
8	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	11 ft	45 ft
9	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	12.3 ft	-
10	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	10.5 ft	52 ft
11	Lime Lake	Benzie	17.5 ft	25 ft
12	Spring Lake	Emmet	-	-
13	Cordley Lake	Livingston	-	31 ft
14	Round Lake	Shiawassee	6 ft	-
15	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	13 ft	50 ft
16	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	12.5 ft	-
17	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	12.5 ft	95 ft
18	Lake Ann	Benzie	14.5 ft	75 ft
19	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
20	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	14.5 ft	-
21	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	11 ft	40 ft
22	Silver Lake	Van Buren	9.5 ft	-
23	Avery Lake	Montmorency	27 ft	-
24	Clark Lake	Jackson	10 ft	50 ft
25	Lake Fenton	Genesee	17.5 ft	90 ft
26	Eagle Lake	Cass	7 ft	35 ft
27	Muskellunge Lake	Montcalm	11 ft	37 ft
28	Windover Lake	Clare	15.3 ft	60 ft
29	Farewell Lake	Jackson	13.8 ft	43 ft
30	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	16 ft	65 ft
31	Harwood Lake	Cass	10 ft	50 ft
32	White Lake	Muskegon	6.8 ft	-
33	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	12.5 ft	-
34	Eagle Lake	Allegan	15 ft	-
35	Evans Lake	Lenawee	14 ft	42 ft
36	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	8 ft	25 ft
37	White Lake	Oakland	13 ft	-
38	Viking Lake	Otsego	6.8 ft	25 ft
39	Middle Lake	Lapeer	9 ft	-
40	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	24.3 ft	88 ft
41	Round Lake	Oakland	10.5 ft	15 ft
42	Round Lake	Oakland	10 ft	-
43	Long Lake	Benzie	9 ft	-
44	Clark Lake	Livingston	12 ft	40 ft
45	Baldwin Lake	Cass	9 ft	-
46	Silver Lake	Genesee	12 ft	-
47	Long Lake	Cass	10.5 ft	42 ft
48	Diamond Lake	Newaygo	12.3 ft	25 ft
49	Baldwins Lake	Cass	8 ft	55 ft
50	Silver Lake	Lenawee	11 ft	26 ft

Showing top 50 of 64 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have northern longear sunfish?

Northern Longear Sunfish are found in 64 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best northern longear sunfish lakes in Michigan?

The best northern longear sunfish lakes in Michigan by water quality are Derby Lake, Muskellunge Lake, Murray Lake, Round Lake, Whitefish Lake.

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