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Best pumpkinseed lakes in Michigan

779 Michigan waters hold pumpkinseed, 764 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. The brilliant little sunfish of weedy northern bays — a snail-crunching shallow-water resident that outnumbers bluegill 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. Gull Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
5. Tippy Dam Pond — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
6. Marble Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
7. Rifle River — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
8. Hess Lake — 29 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Little Traverse Lake — 54 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. George lake — 82 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Duck Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. Saddle Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Pine Lake — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
14. Green Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Round Lake — 67 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, BluegillWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Long Lake — 57 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Ryerson Lake — 80 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. Long Lake — 27 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. Otter Lake — 29 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Chalk Hill Flowage — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
21. Long Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Long Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
23. Hackert Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Bird Lake — 64 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Cranberry Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 754 more Michigan waters holding pumpkinseed.

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When to fish pumpkinseed in Michigan

• Spring 1–8 ft — Spawning colonies carpet warm, protected bays — small baits dropped on the beds get instant attention.
• Summer 2–10 ft — Docks, pads and weed flats — pumpkinseeds hold tighter to vegetation than bluegill and love snails and nymphs.
• Fall 4–14 ft — Schools tighten on the last green weeds — find healthy cabbage near a drop and the school is there.
• Winter 6–18 ft — A staple ice panfish — soft-bottom flats just outside the deepest green weeds; downsize and watch for lift bites.

Also in Michigan: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best steelhead lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best rock bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best cisco (lake herring) lakes · best splake lakes · best brown bullhead lakes · best lake sturgeon lakes

Pumpkinseed elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · British Columbia · Québec · Maine · New Hampshire · Montana · New York · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Connecticut · Rhode Island