Northern pike Lakes in Michigan

Found in 99 Michigan lakes

Northern pike is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 99 lakes carry documentation. Northern pike is narrowly distributed — only 99 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 pike lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Northern pike documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Northern pike Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
2	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
3	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	A	16.8 ft	-
4	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
5	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
6	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	A	16 ft	-
7	Higgins Lake East Basin	Roscommon	A	35 ft	-
8	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
9	Opal Lake	Otsego	A	18.5 ft	-
10	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
11	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
12	Monocle Lake	Chippewa	A	16 ft	-
13	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
14	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
15	Lake Geneserath	Charlevoix	A	16.5 ft	-
16	Lime Lake	Leelanau	A	15.8 ft	-
17	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
18	Douglas Lake	Otsego	A	16.5 ft	-
19	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
20	Susan Lake	Charlevoix	A	-	-
21	Walloon Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
22	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
23	Elk Lake	Antrim	A	-	-
24	Beaver Lake	Alger	A	14.7 ft	-
25	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
26	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
27	Lower Hamlin Lake North Central Basin South of the Narrows	Mason	A	13.5 ft	-
28	Duck Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Fruitland Township	Muskegon	A	10.5 ft	-
29	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	B	8.3 ft	-
30	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
31	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	B	8 ft	-
32	Feldtmann Lake	Keweenaw	B	7.3 ft	-
33	Duck Lake	Muskegon	B	10.5 ft	-
34	Lake Ahmik	Keweenaw	B	7 ft	-
35	Rose Lake	Osceola	B	10.8 ft	-
36	Sylvan Lake	Newaygo	B	13.5 ft	-
37	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	B	7.2 ft	-
38	Hamlin Lake	Mason	B	10 ft	-
39	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	11.5 ft	-
40	Eagle Lake	Allegan	B	14 ft	-
41	Lake of the Woods	Branch	B	10 ft	-
42	Round Lake	Oakland	B	10 ft	-
43	Long Lake	Benzie	B	11.5 ft	-
44	Gun Lake	Mason	B	14 ft	-
45	Whitewood Lake	Livingston	B	10.5 ft	-
46	Emerald Lake	Kent	B	12 ft	-
47	Clear Lake	Jackson	B	10 ft	-
48	Emerald Lake	Kent	B	12.3 ft	-
49	Otter Lake	Oakland	B	10 ft	-
50	Emerald Lake	Newaygo	B	10.5 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 99 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have northern pike?

Northern pike are found in 99 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best northern pike lakes in Michigan?

The best northern pike lakes in Michigan by water quality are Twin Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish Lake, Pickerel Lake, Round Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.