Best Lakes for Fishing in West Michigan

40 lakes

A lake’s fishing comes down to what swims in it and whether you can get a boat on the water. This ranks West Michigan’s Michigan-DNR-registered lakes by the number of fish species on record, with a bump for lakes deep enough to hold fish year-round and those with a public boat launch.

How we ranked: Ranked by number of fish species on the Michigan DNR record, plus a bonus for a public boat launch and for a max depth of 15 ft or more. Limited to lakes with at least three recorded species.

← All 420+ West Michigan lakes

  1. Lake Macatawa
    #18 fish species · boat launch

    Lake Macatawa

  2. Wabasis Lake
    #28 fish species · boat launch

    Wabasis Lake

  3. Pigeon Lake
    #38 fish species · boat launch

    Pigeon Lake

  4. Murray Lake
    #48 fish species · boat launch

    Murray Lake

  5. #58 fish species

    Pickerel Lake

  6. Mona Lake
    #68 fish species

    Mona Lake

  7. Brooks Lake
    #78 fish species

    Brooks Lake

  8. Green Lake
    #88 fish species

    Green Lake

  9. Ryerson Lake
    #98 fish species

    Ryerson Lake

  10. Half Moon Lake
    #108 fish species

    Half Moon Lake

  11. Kimball Lake
    #118 fish species

    Kimball Lake

  12. Scram Lake
    #128 fish species

    Scram Lake

  13. Emerald Lake
    #138 fish species

    Emerald Lake

  14. Fremont Lake
    #148 fish species

    Fremont Lake

  15. #158 fish species

    Nichols Lake

  16. Pickerel Lake
    #168 fish species

    Pickerel Lake

  17. Diamond Lake
    #178 fish species

    Diamond Lake

  18. Muskegon Lake
    #188 fish species

    Muskegon Lake

  19. #198 fish species

    Half Moon Lake

  20. Hess Lake
    #208 fish species

    Hess Lake

  21. Maston Lake
    #218 fish species

    Maston Lake

  22. #228 fish species

    Baptist Lake

  23. Lilley Lake
    #238 fish species

    Lilley Lake

  24. Englewright Lake
    #248 fish species

    Englewright Lake

  25. Robinson Lake
    #258 fish species

    Robinson Lake

  26. #268 fish species

    Railroad Lake

  27. Gun Lake
    #278 fish species

    Gun Lake

  28. White Lake
    #288 fish species

    White Lake

  29. Lower Scott Lake
    #298 fish species

    Lower Scott Lake

  30. #308 fish species

    Mill Lake

  31. Silver Lake
    #318 fish species

    Silver Lake

  32. #328 fish species

    Silver Lake

  33. #338 fish species

    Blanch Lake

  34. Upper Scott Lake
    #348 fish species

    Upper Scott Lake

  35. Second Lake
    #358 fish species

    Second Lake

  36. Deer Lake
    #368 fish species

    Deer Lake

  37. #376 fish species

    Twin Lakes

  38. Pettit Lake
    #387 fish species

    Pettit Lake

  39. #396 fish species

    Twin Lakes

  40. John Ford Lake
    #407 fish species

    John Ford Lake

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