FISHING

Click here to view maps of Michigan's major rivers and lakes.

Bass fishing: 
    Smallmouth and largemouth bass can both be taken in Michigan waters.   According to Chevy Outdoors magazine (spring 1999), Lake St. Clair rates as the best lake in the US for bass.  They call it a "shallow fish factory".   Here's a paraphrased quote:  With 257 miles of shoreline and an average depth of 10 feet, Lake St. Clair provides ideal habitat for both largemouths and smallmouths.   And while you won't catch many 5-pounders, you should catch dozens in the 2-4 pound range. 
    Said one pro fisherman, "No lake produces as many bass with respect to numbers and quality as Lake St. Clair."  The lake is blessed with acres of undisturbed bays along the Canadian border, as well as inlet (St. Clair) and outlet (Detroit) rivers in which to fish.  If there is a downside to fishing this lake, it is the heavy boat traffic.  However, smoother waters can be had in isolated bays and channels.

TROUT FISHING
Many of Michigan's major rivers, such as the Manistee and Au Sable, flow through very "sandy" watersheds.  Here, most of the rainfall and snowmelt infiltrate, rather than runoff.  Streams are therefore not "flashy" (with high and low flows, floods and low water times).  Rather, they flow steady and cold, being fed mostly by groundwater inputs.  Such streams make for excellent trout fishing.

Source:  Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan State University

This material has been compiled for educational use only, and may not be reproduced without permission.  One copy may be printed for personal use.  Please contact Randall Schaetzl (soils@msu.edu) for more information or permissions.