Rock Bass Lakes in Michigan, 107 Lakes

Panfish like Rock Bass are the workhorses of Michigan recreational fishing — abundant, accessible, present in 786 surveyed lakes. Rock Bass is widely distributed: 679 lakes in Minnesota and 107 in Michigan. That breadth means anglers across most of the coverage area can find a documented Rock Bass lake within a reasonable drive.

Panfish species like Rock Bass tolerate a wide range of water quality, so their presence in a lake says less about the lake than the absence of a game-fish would. Cross-reference the Rock Bass lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Rock Bass documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

107

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Rock Bass Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented rock bass.

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Best Rock Bass Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Emerald Lake	Kent	11.5 ft	-
2	Lake George	Clare	9.5 ft	25 ft
3	Derby Lake	Montcalm	14 ft	87 ft
4	Duck Lake	Muskegon	11 ft	-
5	Big Blue Lake	Kalkaska	24 ft	-
6	Muskellunge Lake	Kent	13.5 ft	-
7	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
8	Clear Lake	Jackson	10.5 ft	34 ft
9	Round Lake	Lenawee	12.3 ft	67 ft
10	Big Twin Lake	Kalkaska	23 ft	-
11	Sylvan Lake	Oakland	10.3 ft	-
12	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	13.5 ft	-
13	Round Lake	Benzie	15 ft	-
14	Otter Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
15	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	11 ft	45 ft
16	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	12.3 ft	-
17	Loon Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
18	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	10.5 ft	52 ft
19	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	-	-
20	Crooked Lake	Emmet	-	50 ft
21	Spring Lake	Emmet	-	-
22	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	7 ft	34 ft
23	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	8.9 ft	-
24	Beaver Lake	Alger	14.5 ft	39 ft
25	Lake George	Keweenaw	8 ft	-
26	Pleasant Lake	Oakland	10 ft	-
27	Walloon Lake	Emmet	-	-
28	Lower Hamlin Lake	Mason	11.5 ft	-
29	Round Lake	Shiawassee	6 ft	-
30	Sanford Lake	Benzie	17 ft	-
31	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	13 ft	50 ft
32	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	12.5 ft	95 ft
33	Crooked Lake	Barry	12 ft	-
34	Lake Ann	Benzie	14.5 ft	75 ft
35	Clifford Lake	Montcalm	10 ft	-
36	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
37	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	11 ft	40 ft
38	Pleasant Lake	Wexford	9 ft	10 ft
39	Opal Lake	Otsego	15.5 ft	40 ft
40	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8 ft	70 ft
41	Avery Lake	Montmorency	27 ft	-
42	Clear Lake	Ogemaw	15 ft	50 ft
43	Bear Lake	Kalkaska	30 ft	50 ft
44	Clark Lake	Jackson	10 ft	50 ft
45	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8.5 ft	70 ft
46	Brevoort Lake	Mackinac	10.5 ft	-
47	Lake Fenton	Genesee	17.5 ft	90 ft
48	Emerald Lake	Newaygo	13.5 ft	49 ft
49	Sanford Lake	Midland	5 ft	20 ft
50	Eagle Lake	Cass	7 ft	35 ft

Showing top 50 of 107 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have rock bass?

Rock Bass are found in 107 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best rock bass lakes in Michigan?

The best rock bass lakes in Michigan by water quality are Emerald Lake, Lake George, Derby Lake, Duck Lake, Big Blue Lake.

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