Best Ice Fishing Lakes in Michigan

Short answer: the Michigan DNR points ice anglers to Houghton Lake for walleye and crappie, Little Bay de Noc for walleye and perch, Burt Lake and Mullett Lake for perch and walleye, Lake Gogebic for perch and walleye, and Keweenaw Bay for lake whitefish. For pike, Higgins Lake is the one a DNR report calls out for big fish. For crappie, add Lake St. Clair and Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell.

The picks below come from DNR pages and DNR fishery reports. We give no catch rates and no records.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Here is the quick list by species.

• Walleye: Houghton Lake, Little Bay de Noc, Lake Gogebic, Burt Lake, Mullett Lake, Saginaw Bay.
• Yellow perch: Little Bay de Noc, Lake Gogebic, Burt Lake, Mullett Lake, Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell.
• Crappie: Houghton Lake, Lake St. Clair, Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell.
• Northern pike: Higgins Lake, Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell.
• Lake whitefish: Keweenaw Bay, Higgins Lake (with a warning, below).

Ice safety first

The Michigan DNR says plainly that your safety is your responsibility, and that there is not a reliable "inch-thickness" to determine if ice is safe. So this guide gives no thickness number. Michigan DNR does not publish one, and we will not make one up.

What the DNR does say:

• Clear ice with a blue tint is the strongest.
• Milky ice from melted and refrozen snow is weak.
• Slush ice is only half as strong as clear ice.
• Ice under snow should always be considered unsafe.
• Ice weakens with age.
• Be extra cautious where there is current, since the stronger the current the more likely the ice will give to open water. Watch for dock bubblers and de-icers, and avoid protruding logs or brush.
• Test ice thickness and quality with a spud, needle bar or auger. Carry a lifejacket, ice picks and a two-way communication device that receives signal.
• Never fish alone. Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.

The DNR also advises checking with local bait shops about ice cover on the spot you picked.

1. Houghton Lake (Roscommon County)

The DNR lists Houghton Lake for walleye, bluegill, crappie and sunfish on its ice fishing page. A DNR fishery report puts it at 20,075 surface acres, the largest inland lake in Michigan. It is shallow. The maximum depth is 22 feet and the average is 8.4 feet.

The same report says the fishery is dominated by panfish, walleye and northern pike. In a 2001 to 2002 survey covering summer and winter, panfish made up 92.2% of the harvest. The report says walleye, pike and perch grow slowly here, below the state average. Our read: plan for keepers, not trophies.

2. Little Bay de Noc (Delta County)

The DNR lists Little Bay de Noc for walleye and yellow perch. It is also one of the Upper Peninsula boating access sites where partners plow snow for ice anglers (Kipling). The DNR says it picks plowed sites each spring based on use and damage, so check the current list.

A 2026 DNR fisheries summary says crews tagged walleye in Little Bay de Noc in 2025 for movement studies and ran fall surveys there.

3. Lake Gogebic (Gogebic and Ontonagon counties)

The DNR lists Lake Gogebic for yellow perch and walleye. The DNR page for Lake Gogebic State Park says anglers will find excellent fishing for perch, walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike.

One note for visitors. The state park says its modern campground is closed from Oct. 13, 2026 through June 7, 2027 for tree removal. Plan lodging around that.

4. Burt Lake (Cheboygan County)

The DNR lists Burt Lake for yellow perch and walleye. A DNR fishery report calls it a 17,395-acre natural lake with a maximum depth of 73 feet, though most of it is 30 feet deep or less. It names yellow perch as the dominant panfish. It notes public access at Burt Lake State Park and Maple Bay. The report says walleye have not been stocked since 1993.

5. Mullett Lake (Cheboygan County)

The DNR lists Mullett Lake for yellow perch and walleye. A DNR report puts it at 16,702 acres, with a maximum depth of 147 feet in the south and middle parts. It says yellow perch are the main attraction for anglers in the fall and winter. It also says road ends on the lake give public access, typically for ice fishing.

Northern pike are present too. The report says some anglers target them in summer and winter, but most are likely caught by accident.

6. Higgins Lake (Roscommon County)

The DNR lists Higgins Lake for lake trout, smelt, lake whitefish and northern pike. The lake is 10,186 acres and reaches about 135 feet deep. A 2021 DNR report says it is known as one of the best lakes in the Lower Peninsula for catching or spearing northern pike over 40 inches. It also says pike are not abundant.

The whitefish picture is poor. The report says the whitefish population seems to have declined since 2011, and that anglers say catching even a few has become rare. The inland lake daily limit for lake whitefish, combined with cisco, was cut from 12 to 5 in 2020. Our read: treat Higgins as a pike and lake trout lake first.

7. Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron)

Saginaw Bay is a walleye and perch water in DNR surveys. The 2026 DNR summary says the 2025 fall survey had the second highest experimental gill net catch rate ever recorded for yearling walleye. It also says catch rates of adult yellow perch remain low.

Saginaw Bay is not on the DNR ice fishing "spots to try" list, so take it as a walleye pick based on fisheries data, not an ice access recommendation. Check with local bait shops about ice cover before you go, as the DNR advises.

8. Lake St. Clair (St. Clair and Macomb counties)

The DNR lists Lake St. Clair for yellow perch, bluegill and crappie. The 2026 DNR summary has a caution. It says Lake St. Clair perch show poor growth, which the DNR ties to changes in nutrients and invasive species. Our read: expect numbers over size for perch.

9. Keweenaw Bay (Baraga County)

The DNR lists Keweenaw Bay for brown trout, lake whitefish, lake trout, coho salmon, splake, smelt and burbot. Our pick for whitefish in the Upper Peninsula, since it is the first whitefish water on the DNR list. The DNR also lists Munising Bay (Alger County) for lake whitefish, Menominee (round whitefish), splake, coho and burbot. These are Lake Superior waters. Check with local bait shops about ice cover before you go, as the DNR advises.

10. Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell (Wexford County)

The DNR lists these two lakes for yellow perch, crappie and northern pike. Our pick for an angler who wants all three in one trip.

When fish bite

The DNR says the most success comes from dawn until mid-morning and again from late afternoon until sundown. That is especially true for panfish and walleye. Northern pike can be more aggressive at other times of day. The DNR also says fish are more sluggish in winter and move less, and the more holes you try, the better your chances of finding them.

Before you go

1. Check ice yourself at every spot.
2. Keep your hole 8 to 10 inches across, and mark it when you leave.
3. Remove your shanty and all garbage by the date set for your zone.
4. Check the current Michigan fishing regulations for limits and size rules on each lake.
5. Tell someone your plan.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

FAQ

What is the best ice fishing lake in Michigan?

It depends on the fish. For walleye and crappie, the DNR lists Houghton Lake. For perch and walleye, it lists Little Bay de Noc, Lake Gogebic, Burt Lake and Mullett Lake. For lake whitefish, it lists Keweenaw Bay and Munising Bay.

How thick does ice need to be in Michigan?

The Michigan DNR says there is no reliable inch-thickness that tells you ice is safe. It tells anglers to test with a spud, needle bar or auger and to judge ice quality, not just depth. Clear blue ice is strongest. Slush ice is half as strong.

Where can I ice fish for walleye in Michigan?

The DNR lists walleye on Houghton Lake, Little Bay de Noc, Lake Gogebic, Burt Lake and Mullett Lake. Saginaw Bay is a strong walleye water in DNR surveys, but it is not on the DNR ice spots list.

Where is the best crappie ice fishing?

The DNR lists crappie on Houghton Lake, Lake St. Clair, and Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. A DNR report says Houghton Lake black crappie have shown good size structure, with slower growth noted in 2011.

Is Higgins Lake good for whitefish?

Not right now. A 2021 DNR report says the whitefish population seems to have declined and that anglers report catching even a few has become rare.