Fishing Maceday Lake

Maceday Lake offers southeast Michigan's only inland lake trout fishery, with fish ranging 16-35 inches all found in the deepest basin where dissolved oxygen remains suitable to 97 feet deep. The bluegill fishery is exceptional with a Schneider's Index of 5.6 indicating good to excellent quality - 79% of bluegill exceed 6 inches and 59% are 7+ inches with average growth rates. Largemouth bass grow slowly (growth index -2.3) but can reach 19 inches, though only 6% exceed the 14-inch minimum size limit. The deep main basin drops to 117 feet with sharp drop-offs, while the southern shoal extends 600-800 feet from shore with sandy marl bottom and scattered vegetation. The northern connection to Lotus Lake features heavy vegetation and occasional stumps. Splake range 7-21 inches with 64% over the 8-inch minimum, while smaller splake caught were likely from recent 2019 stockings. Rainbow trout are concerning as none were caught despite continued stocking, suggesting survival issues. The lake supports 28 fish species including the rare state-threatened cisco, though none were captured in recent surveys. Northern pike numbers remain low which benefits the trout program by reducing predation pressure. Ice fishing dominates winter angling with anglers averaging 3+ hours per trip. The lake stratifies with the epilimnion averaging 17.4 feet deep and metalimnion from 20-32 feet, providing excellent coldwater habitat in the hypolimnion starting around 34 feet deep.