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Best brown bullhead lakes in Michigan

693 Michigan waters hold brown bullhead, 693 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Night-feeding catfish of weedy, mud-bottomed lakes — the classic after-dark shoreline bite across the east and Canada.

1. Black Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
2. Brevoort Lake — 26 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
3. Wixom Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
4. Douglas Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
5. Gull Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. George lake — 82 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Pine Lake — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
8. Round Lake — 67 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, BluegillWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
9. Long Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
10. Bird Lake — 64 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Cranberry Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
12. Wabascon Lake — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Hubbell Pond — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
14. Muskrat Lake — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
15. Clear Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Shamrock Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Big Cedar Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Bush Lake — 47 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Osterhout Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
20. Thompson Lake — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Blue Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Bishop Lake — 54 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Nottawa Lake — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Hillsview Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Ben-way Lake — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 668 more Michigan waters holding brown bullhead.

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When to fish brown bullhead in Michigan

• Spring 2–8 ft — First warm rains pull bullheads into black-bottomed bays and creek mouths — the classic spring shore bite.
• Summer 3–12 ft — Day fish hold on deeper mud and weed edges; after dark they spread across the shallows to feed by smell.
• Fall 5–15 ft — Fish slide toward deeper soft bottoms as the shallows cool — the evening bite shortens with the days.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Bullheads pod up half-dormant in the deepest mud basins; a long soak with bait on bottom is the lone play.

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Brown Bullhead elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · British Columbia · Québec · Maine · New Hampshire · New York · Massachusetts · Connecticut · Nebraska · Vermont · California · South Dakota · Nova Scotia · New Jersey