Your top 10 lakes in Michigan

[Mojo]

From TBones post, I thought it would be if a terrific and fun post if everyone listed in order, Best being #1, on down, their favorite Fishing Lakes in Michigan. Let's get 50 posts, and I'll calculate the winner, and put in order, your TOP 10 Michigan Fishing Lakes.

Ready... Go !

[tazdevil]

For bass lakes I've fished 1.Fletchers 2.Austin 3.Hamlin 4.Gull

[Mojo]

Here's mine:

1 Lake St Clair - Smallies, Largies, Musky, walleye, perch, pike. If I could vote by species, I'd be have my 1st 6 as this lake. By far and away my favorite lake in the entire world.

2 Burt / Mullet - Smallies, just an amazing spring time bass factory of huge fish

3 St Clair River - nothing better for relaxed summer fishing for Smallies, Walleye and Largies. 

4. Fletcher's Pond - my favorite Largemouth lake. Target rich lake !

5. White Lake (west Mi) helps we take a cabin at a nestled resort called Lakeside, and while everyone sleeps in, I get up with a fresh cup, take the boat or canoe and catch Smallies and Largies in good size and numbers.

6. Elizebeth Lake, My home lake. Loaded with quality unpressured Smallies and Largies.

7. Lake Oakland - lake I grew up on. Know every nook and cranny of the lake (plus wood hull )

8. Lake Erie - for Smallies it's just dynamite. Hot pond is so much fun too !

9. Pere Marquette river - the salmon, steelhead coho are just outstanding here.

10. Tie Union Lake and Bushman - they both intrigue me : )

Honorable mention: Tie between Hamlin, Torch / Elk / Skegmog, I hope we do some DK open Wests on these lakes - or Hubbard. That way they can get in my top 10 favorite lakes to fish !

[t-bone]

1. St. Clair
2. Lake Charlevoix
3. Grand Lake
4. Lake Erie
5. Burt/Mullet
6. Kent Lake
7. Intermediate Lake
8. Upper Straits
9. Long Lake
10. Lake Orion

[motocross269]

1. Lake St Clair
2. Grand Lake
3. Burt/Mullet
4. Lake Erie
5. Walloon Lake
6.Lake Charlevoix
7. St Clair River
8. Long Lake/ Alpena
9. East Bay Grand Traverse
10. Thunder Bay Alpena

[markgoetsch]

1. Detroit River
2. St. Clair
3. Erie
4. St. Clair River
5. Burt/Mullet
6-10 don't matter

[robhj]

I've been fortunate to fish all the MI lakes listed in the top 100 except for Bays de Noc and that is on my short list. I'm also lucky I have family that live near Alpena! I didn't list any that were already on the top 100 list because I'm sure most would agree they are some of the best in our state. Sorry I couldn't rank them because many were equally as good. My top 10 in no particular order would have to be:

Hubbard
Mullett/Burt
Grand
Portage
Fletcher's
Van Ettan
Manistee
Pere Marquette
Thunder Bay
Muskegon

My list is heavily favored towards smallies because I like to spend more of my time fishing in lakes that have good smallie populations.

[LAPORTE]

Belleville
St Clair
Erie
Detroit River
Asable river
Ford
Wixom
Muskegon
Mullet
Burt

[Lightningboy]

No order here:

Belleville
St. Clair
Saginaw bay
Erie
Thunder bay
Grand lake
Long lake (Presq/Alpena)
Rush lake (Montmorency)
Muskelunge lake (Montmorency)

Each is great for me based on fishing potential, time of year/style of fishing, and proximity.

[bwebber]

1.  Chalrevoix
2. Mullet/Burt
3.  Douglas
4.  Walloon
5.  Black
6.  Bellaire
7.  Bay De Noc
8.  Fletcher's
9.  Intermediate
10. Carp(Paradise)

[Got Fish??]

1Lake St Clair
2Lake Erie
3 Skegemog
4Long Lake(oakland county)
5Big Twin(Kalkaska)
6Saginaw Bay
7Cub Lake (Kalkaska)
8Detroit River
9Manistee River
10Grand Traverse Bays,east and west

[Skulley]

I can only list what I have fished a lot so all these lakes I have been on more than 5 times.  Some of the lakes that some of you have mentioned I have been on but not enough to say they are in my top 10 even though I've had some stellar days on some of them.  But these are what I fish most and what I would call my faves.  Great thread.  Like to hear more so that I can put some of them on my bucket list.........although that bucket list is mostly lakes that are out of state.  Here they are:

(1)  Lower Detroit River/Lake Erie
(2)  Lake St. Clair/St. Clair River
(3)  Long Lake (Oakland County)
(4)  Lake Orion
(5)  White Lake (Oakland County)
(6)  Halfmoon Chain
(7)  Lakeville Lake
  8    Belleville Lake
(9)  Thompson Lake
(10)  Ford Lake



BD                     

[djkimmel]

For me with 11,000 lakes and the Great Lakes to consider I have to really think for awhile to come up with only 10 favorites. I think my list would change a little month-to-month and year-to-year too.

[MSURoss]

Here is my top 10 of the water I have fished...

1. LSC
2. Detroit River
3. Grand Lake
4. Little Bay de Noc
5. Portage Lake (Manistee County)
6. Gull Lake
7. Fletchers Pond
8. Hardy Dam Pond
9. Manistee Lake
10. Lake Lansing (sometimes) lol

[djkimmel]

Lake Lansing is never going to be in my top 10. I understand...

Sometimes Lake Lansing and I do get along okay. Just sometimes.

[MSURoss]

Lake Lansing is never going to be in my top 10. I understand...

Sometimes Lake Lansing and I do get along okay. Just sometimes.

Lansing area lakes never really get along with me, only when it doesn't count lol.

[djkimmel]

I understand that about Lake Lansing for sure. I like the other lakes and river though but having it not 'count' all the time does make it easier...

[djkimmel]

1. Mullett Lake
2. Lake Charlevoix
3. Lake St. Clair
4. Saginaw Bay
5. White Lake
6. Grand River
7. Hardy Dam Pond
8. Skegemog Lake
9. Kent Lake
10. Crooked Lake

Including 'public' lakes only. I will change my mind in about 5 minutes and these are 10 of the lakes I like to fish. I actually like to fish a few lakes more but I decided to leave them of the list since they are mostly for aesthetics not the fishing quality.

[Waterfoul]

St. Clair
Manistee
Muskegon
Gull
Big Whitefish
Duck/Green in Interlochen
Glen Lake (have had a place there since the early 80's so I know it better than ANY of you!!)
A small local lake that shall remain nameless because it's so small.

After that there are just too many decent ones.

[rangerfan]

Saginaw Bay                                                                                                                              St.Clair                                                                                                                                     Bay de Noc's                                                                                                                             Titabawasse River                                                                                                                      Long Lake (alpena)                                                                                                                   Manistee                                                                                                                                  East Bay                                                                                                                                   Burt                                                                                                                                         Fletchers                                                                                                                                   Wixom