Best Lakes for Fishing Near Traverse City
Michigan
30 fishing lakes within driving distance of Traverse City, Michigan, ranked by water quality and fishing-specific filters. Filtered for documented fish species (3+) and public access. Ranked by water quality and species diversity.
Traverse City sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade A. Long Lake (A) leads the cluster.
Filtered for fishing, the nearby-lake list narrows further. fishing-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Lake | Grand Traverse | A | 7.1 mi | 24 ft | - |
| 2 | Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township | Grand Traverse | A | 7.2 mi | 23.8 ft | - |
| 3 | Island Lake | Grand Traverse | A | 10.2 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 4 | Sanford Lake | Benzie | A | 12.5 mi | 15.8 ft | - |
| 5 | Elk Lake | Antrim | A | 12.9 mi | - | - |
| 6 | Lime Lake | Benzie | A | 15.3 mi | 17.5 ft | - |
| 7 | Torch Lake | Antrim | A | 20.7 mi | 27.5 ft | - |
| 8 | Crystal Lake | Benzie | A | 28 mi | 32 ft | - |
| 9 | Round Lake | Benzie | A | 28.1 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 10 | Round Lake | Benzie | A | 28.1 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 11 | Pickerel Lake | Kalkaska | A | 31.7 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 12 | Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township | Benzie | A | 32.1 mi | 16 ft | - |
| 13 | Twin Lake | Kalkaska | A | 32.4 mi | 23 ft | - |
| 14 | Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township | Kalkaska | A | 32.5 mi | 23 ft | - |
| 15 | Cub Lake Central Basin | Kalkaska | A | 32.9 mi | 19 ft | - |
| 16 | Cub Lake | Kalkaska | A | 32.9 mi | 19.5 ft | - |
| 17 | Bear Lake | Kalkaska | A | 33.3 mi | 33 ft | - |
| 18 | Eagle Lake | Kalkaska | A | 33.4 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 19 | Eagle Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township | Kalkaska | A | 33.4 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 20 | Bear Lake Southeast Basin | Kalkaska | A | 33.5 mi | 36.5 ft | - |
| 21 | Starvation Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township | Kalkaska | A | 33.5 mi | 22.3 ft | - |
| 22 | Papoose Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township | Kalkaska | A | 33.8 mi | 21 ft | - |
| 23 | Papoose Lake | Kalkaska | A | 33.9 mi | 20 ft | - |
| 24 | Indian Lake Northeast Basin; Blue Lake Township | Kalkaska | A | 34.1 mi | 15.5 ft | - |
| 25 | Squaw Lake | Kalkaska | A | 34.5 mi | 16 ft | - |
| 26 | Big Blue Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township | Kalkaska | A | 35.8 mi | - | - |
| 27 | Bass Lake Northeast Basin | Kalkaska | A | 36.2 mi | 18.5 ft | - |
| 28 | Lake Charlevoix | Charlevoix | A | 36.3 mi | 17.8 ft | - |
| 29 | Lake Charlevoix | Charlevoix | A | 39.5 mi | - | - |
| 30 | Lake Margrethe | Crawford | A | 41.4 mi | 16 ft | - |
Other activities near Traverse City
Swimming near Traverse City →Kayaking near Traverse City →Boating near Traverse City →All lakes near Traverse City →
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.