Best Fishing Lakes Near Grand Rapids, Michigan
40 lakesData computed November 8, 2026 · Covers Kent, Ottawa, Allegan, Newaygo, Muskegon, Montcalm, Lake and Osceola counties
A lake’s fishing comes down to what swims in it, how deep it holds through winter, and whether you can get a boat on the water. This ranks lakes near Grand Rapids on Michigan DNR fisheries survey records — counting sport and panfish only.
Minnows, shiners, darters, suckers and sculpin are excluded from the count. They turn up constantly in DNR survey data because a survey records everything the net caught, but no one drives out to catch a Blackchin Shiner. Each lake below lists the sport species on its own DNR record.
A DNR fisheries survey is a point-in-time sample, and some of these records are decades old — a lake can be surveyed once and not revisited. Lakes with no DNR survey on record are excluded from this ranking rather than placed last, so this list covers the surveyed lakes only, not every lake in the region.
How we ranked: Ranked on Michigan DNR fisheries survey records — sport and panfish species only, with minnows, shiners and darters excluded from the count — plus public launch or public access, maximum depth on the DNR record, and DNR surface acreage. Limited to lakes with at least two sport species on the record.
#18 sport speciesFremont Lake
#27 sport species · boat launchWabasis Lake
#38 sport speciesMona Lake
#48 sport speciesHess Lake
#57 sport speciesHalf Moon Lake
#67 sport speciesEnglewright Lake
- #78 sport species
Whitefish Lake
#85 sport speciesMuskegon Lake
#96 sport speciesGreen Lake
- #108 sport species
Pine Lake
#117 sport speciesWhite Lake
#126 sport speciesRyerson Lake
#138 sport speciesMaston Lake
- #144 sport species
Derby Lake
- #157 sport species
Baptist Lake
#162 sport species · boat launchLake Macatawa
#176 sport speciesScram Lake
#185 sport speciesHorseshoe Lake
#197 sport speciesLilley Lake
#206 sport speciesSilver Lake
- #214 sport species
Clifford Lake
#228 sport speciesLower Scott Lake
- #236 sport species
Blanch Lake
- #243 sport species
Nevins Lake
- #258 sport species
Big Star Lake
#268 sport speciesKimball Lake
#273 sport species · boat launchPigeon Lake
- #285 sport species
Nichols Lake
#296 sport speciesRobinson Lake
#306 sport speciesDiamond Lake
#317 sport speciesSecond Lake
- #327 sport species
Mill Lake
#335 sport speciesNorth Lake
#346 sport speciesMurray Lake
- #355 sport species
Loon Lake
#365 sport speciesUpper Scott Lake
#373 sport speciesPickerel Lake
- #385 sport species
Railroad Lake
#395 sport speciesDeer Lake
#405 sport speciesJohn Ford Lake
Best Fishing Lakes Near Grand Rapids, Michigan: Frequently Asked
- How many lakes are on this list?
- We rank 40 West Michigan lakes here. Ranked on Michigan DNR fisheries survey records — sport and panfish species only, with minnows, shiners and darters excluded from the count — plus public launch or public access, maximum depth on the DNR record, and DNR surface acreage. Limited to lakes with at least two sport species on the record.
- Which lakes rank highest?
- Fremont Lake, Wabasis Lake, Mona Lake lead the list. Fremont Lake ranks #1 (8 sport species).
- What do lakefront homes cost on these lakes?
- Across the 40 lakes on this list, the typical lakefront home value is about $494,375, though prices vary widely by lake and frontage.
Explore West Michigan lakes another way
All West Michigan Lakes
Filter every DNR-verified lake by fish, depth, motor rules, access.
All-Sports Lakes Closest to Grand Rapids
Includes lakes whose county watercraft-control register has been read and carries no whole-water restriction for the lake — no slow-no-wake order, no electric-only rule, no ban on high-speed boating. Channel-only and posted-hours rules do not exclude a lake. Ranked by straight-line distance from downtown Grand Rapids. Register read 2026-08-05; local ordinances outside the state register can still apply.
Lakefront Home Values on Every Lake Near Grand Rapids
Ranked by median lakefront home value, highest first, from county assessor parcel records along each lake (State Equalized Value doubled). Limited to lakes with at least eight lakefront parcels, so a single property cannot set a lake’s median. Assessed values, not sale prices.
Lakes with Public Access Near Grand Rapids
Includes lakes with a public boat launch or public access on the Michigan DNR record. Ranked by access type (boat launch first), then by Michigan DNR surface acreage.
West Michigan Lakes with Public Beaches
Includes lakes with a public beach on the Michigan DNR record. Ranked by Michigan DNR surface acreage, largest first.
No-Wake Lakes Near Grand Rapids
Includes lakes carrying a Michigan DNR slow-no-wake order that is written for the whole lake. Lakes where the order covers only a channel, canal, bay, harbor zone or a described stretch of shoreline are excluded (for example Mona, White and Kalamazoo lakes); their open water is not no-wake. Orders that apply only during posted hours stay listed and are labelled with those hours. Ranked by straight-line distance from downtown Grand Rapids. Register read 2026-08-05.
Deeded-Access Lakes Near Grand Rapids
Includes lakes the Michigan DNR records as deeded-access — rights limited to owners whose deed grants them, often backlot homes in a platted subdivision. Ranked by straight-line distance from downtown Grand Rapids.
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