Fishing Sixteenmile Lake

Sixteenmile Lake is a challenging 443-acre shallow fishery where Black Bullhead dominate 95% of the fish biomass, creating tough conditions for sport fish. The Northern Pike population is severely stunted with fish growing 3.4 inches below state average and only 3% reaching the 24-inch legal size - most pike won't hit legal size until after age 7. Temperature varies dramatically from the cool spring-fed north end to the warmer south end, with 80% of the lake less than 7 feet deep and thick with aquatic vegetation. Yellow Perch are all tiny, averaging just 3.4 inches with none approaching the preferred 7-inch size, likely limited by periodic winterkills in the shallow water. The one bright spot is Rock Bass, which grow 2.1 inches above state average with 89% at preferred size, though they're a tiny part of the fishery. Dissolved oxygen stays good through 9 feet of depth during summer at 9.4-9.5 mg/L, but the shallow nature and abundant organic material create winterkill conditions. Springs in the northern portion create a 10-degree temperature difference between lake ends. Historical creel records from the 1950s-60s show this was primarily a winter Northern Pike and Yellow Perch fishery, but current conditions make even that limited fishery marginal. The DNR removed 18,000 pounds of bullhead during the 1980s, but the population rebounded to pre-removal levels within a decade, proving manual removal ineffective. Recent Largemouth Bass stocking in 2017 appears to have failed completely with no fish captured in 2019. The lake's position as a flooded headwater tributary to the Sturgeon River, combined with abundant flocculant organic material and minimal depth, fundamentally limits its ability to support quality sport fishing.