Fishing Little Traverse Lake

Little Traverse Lake offers exceptional smallmouth bass fishing with growth rates 1.7 inches above state average, producing fish up to 20 inches. The smallmouth biomass dominates at 23.2% of total fish weight, thanks to abundant forage including common shiners and bluntnose minnows. Rock bass are the most numerous fish at 30.3% of the catch, with excellent populations up to 10 inches and above-average growth. Pumpkinseed sunfish have rebounded strongly and now comprise 13.1% of the catch by number with above-average growth, likely benefiting from higher spring water levels caused by the problematic culvert replacement. Northern pike reach 30 inches but grow 2.2 inches below average due to the relatively short growing season and limited panfish forage. The lake averages 5-10 feet deep with a maximum of 50 feet, featuring sand and marl bottoms in shallow areas transitioning to pulpy peat and marl in deeper water. Fish hold around Christmas tree structures placed in 15-20 feet of water and near woody debris along natural shorelines. Water clarity is affected by tannic acids from the watershed and marl substrates. Despite extensive historical stocking from 1933-1944 and adult panfish transfers in the 1990s, bluegill numbers remain low at only 1.3% of the catch. Longear sunfish are increasing alongside pumpkinseed, suggesting panfish recovery is underway. The fishery is classified as mesotrophic to slightly eutrophic with good vegetative growth in water less than 20 feet deep. Dissolved oxygen remains adequate to about 15 feet depth during summer stratification.