Fishing Belleville Lake

Belleville Lake offers some of the most accessible walleye fishing in southeastern Michigan, with fish averaging 17 inches and 73% over the 15-inch limit thanks to every-other-year stocking since 1993. The walleye grow 0.8 inches above state average and provide an alternative to Lake Erie for smaller boat owners. Channel catfish dominate the fishery by weight (22% of total biomass) with naturally reproducing populations averaging nearly 20 inches, though growth runs slightly below average. The bluegill population has declined in quality over recent surveys - while they're growing well (0.8 inches above state average), only 1.5% exceed 8 inches and the Schneider Index has dropped to 4.0 ('satisfactory'). Black crappie have suffered dramatically from historical abundance when over 110,000 were caught annually in the late 1970s to just 565 fish in the 2005 creel survey. Smallmouth bass remain popular despite being under-represented in surveys - the 2005 creel showed 13,500 caught, tying bluegill as the most harvested species. Dissolved oxygen drops below fish-acceptable levels at 15-16 feet in both basins, concentrating fish in the upper water column. The lake supports excellent forage with large gizzard shad schools (most over 9 inches) plus smaller shad frequently observed near shore. The eastern basin runs deeper to 30+ feet while the western basin stays mostly under 10 feet, with old river channels providing the deepest water and structure in both areas. Numerous stumps and debris in the westernmost area require careful navigation. This is one of few inland lakes with established round goby populations, creating both a nuisance for bait anglers and additional forage. Great Lakes muskellunge stocking began in 2012 to reestablish the inland musky fishery that disappeared when tiger musky stocking ended in 1991.