Rock bass Lakes in Michigan

Found in 117 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Rock bass are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 117 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Rock bass is moderately distributed — 117 lakes in Michigan. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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 Rock bass lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Rock bass documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

117

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Rock bass Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Sanford Lake	Benzie	A	15.8 ft	-
2	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
3	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	A	16.8 ft	-
4	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
5	Cub Lake Central Basin	Kalkaska	A	19 ft	-
6	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
7	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
8	Bear Lake Southeast Basin	Kalkaska	A	36.5 ft	-
9	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	A	16 ft	-
10	Higgins Lake East Basin	Roscommon	A	35 ft	-
11	Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township	Grand Traverse	A	23.8 ft	-
12	Avery Lake	Montmorency	A	27 ft	-
13	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
14	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
15	Opal Lake	Otsego	A	18.5 ft	-
16	Bear Lake	Kalkaska	A	33 ft	-
17	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
18	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
19	Monocle Lake	Chippewa	A	16 ft	-
20	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
21	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
22	Lake Geneserath	Charlevoix	A	16.5 ft	-
23	Thumb Lake	Charlevoix	A	17 ft	-
24	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
25	Douglas Lake	Otsego	A	16.5 ft	-
26	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	A	-	-
27	Susan Lake	Charlevoix	A	-	-
28	Walloon Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
29	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
30	Spring Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
31	Big Blue Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	-	-
32	Loon Lake	Benzie	A	12.1 ft	-
33	Beaver Lake	Alger	A	14.7 ft	-
34	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
35	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
36	Lower Hamlin Lake North Central Basin South of the Narrows	Mason	A	13.5 ft	-
37	Duck Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Fruitland Township	Muskegon	A	10.5 ft	-
38	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
39	Upper Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	A	11 ft	-
40	Loon Lake; Lake Twp	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
41	Au Sable Lake East Central Basin,Goodar Township	Ogemaw	A	10.5 ft	-
42	Lake Ann	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
43	Bear Lake	Manistee	B	11 ft	-
44	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	B	11.5 ft	-
45	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
46	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
47	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	B	8 ft	-
48	Clark Lake	Livingston	B	12 ft	-
49	Lake George	Clare	B	11.5 ft	-
50	Lake George	Keweenaw	B	8 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 117 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have rock bass?

Rock bass are found in 117 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best rock bass lakes in Michigan?

The best rock bass lakes in Michigan by water quality are Sanford Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish Lake, Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township, Cub Lake Central Basin.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.