Best Fishing Lakes Near Grand Rapids, Michigan

40 lakes

Data computed August 2, 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.

← All West Michigan lakes

  1. Fremont Lake
    #18 sport species

    Fremont Lake

  2. Wabasis Lake
    #27 sport species · boat launch

    Wabasis Lake

  3. Mona Lake
    #38 sport species

    Mona Lake

  4. Hess Lake
    #48 sport species

    Hess Lake

  5. Half Moon Lake
    #57 sport species

    Half Moon Lake

  6. Englewright Lake
    #67 sport species

    Englewright Lake

  7. #78 sport species

    Whitefish Lake

  8. Muskegon Lake
    #85 sport species

    Muskegon Lake

  9. Green Lake
    #96 sport species

    Green Lake

  10. #108 sport species

    Pine Lake

  11. Gun Lake
    #117 sport species

    Gun Lake

  12. White Lake
    #127 sport species

    White Lake

  13. Ryerson Lake
    #136 sport species

    Ryerson Lake

  14. Maston Lake
    #148 sport species

    Maston Lake

  15. #154 sport species

    Derby Lake

  16. #167 sport species

    Baptist Lake

  17. Lake Macatawa
    #172 sport species · boat launch

    Lake Macatawa

  18. Scram Lake
    #186 sport species

    Scram Lake

  19. Horseshoe Lake
    #195 sport species

    Horseshoe Lake

  20. Lilley Lake
    #207 sport species

    Lilley Lake

  21. Silver Lake
    #216 sport species

    Silver Lake

  22. #224 sport species

    Clifford Lake

  23. Lower Scott Lake
    #238 sport species

    Lower Scott Lake

  24. #246 sport species

    Blanch Lake

  25. #253 sport species

    Nevins Lake

  26. #268 sport species

    Big Star Lake

  27. Kimball Lake
    #278 sport species

    Kimball Lake

  28. Pigeon Lake
    #283 sport species · boat launch

    Pigeon Lake

  29. #295 sport species

    Nichols Lake

  30. Robinson Lake
    #306 sport species

    Robinson Lake

  31. Diamond Lake
    #316 sport species

    Diamond Lake

  32. Second Lake
    #327 sport species

    Second Lake

  33. #337 sport species

    Mill Lake

  34. North Lake
    #345 sport species

    North Lake

  35. Murray Lake
    #356 sport species

    Murray Lake

  36. #365 sport species

    Loon Lake

  37. Upper Scott Lake
    #375 sport species

    Upper Scott Lake

  38. Pickerel Lake
    #383 sport species

    Pickerel Lake

  39. #395 sport species

    Railroad Lake

  40. Deer Lake
    #405 sport species

    Deer 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 $514,325, though prices vary widely by lake and frontage.

Explore West Michigan lakes another way

Get new West Michigan lakefront homes by email

New listings and price drops, sent the moment they hit the market. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Looking for a place on the water?

Tell us what matters — fishing, all-sports, budget, distance — and we’ll match you to lakes that fit.

Find a place you love