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Freshwater fishing near Traverse City
Traverse City, MIBuilt from our data

Freshwater fishing near Traverse City

10 stops10 watersUpdated Nov 6

10 freshwater spots within 75 minutes of Traverse City, each with a full TripsQuick page.

The closest by road is Lake Michigan, 2 minutes away.

Lakes near Traverse City

1. Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is a 2-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Boardman River, the public ramp on Lake Michigan closest to downtown (≈ 0.3 mi). Public access on Lake Michigan: 26 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 902 ft. Recorded here: Alewife, Common Carp, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout.

Lake Michigan12 min · 0.6 mi
Lake

Lake Michigan

Mason

Boardman River62

max 902 ft · surveyed

Water page

2. Elk Lake

Elk Lake is a 25-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Whitewater Township Park, the public ramp on Elk Lake closest to downtown (≈ 12 mi). Public access on Elk Lake: 2 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 150 ft. Recorded here: Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brown Trout, and Cisco.

Elk Lake225 min · 16 mi
Lake

Elk Lake

Antrim

Whitewater Township Park15

max 150 ft · surveyed

Water page

3. Green Lake

Green Lake is a 21-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Green Lake, the public ramp on Green Lake closest to downtown (≈ 14.1 mi). Public access on Green Lake: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 102 ft. Recorded here: Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Bluegill, and Largemouth Bass.

Green Lake321 min · 15.3 mi
Lake

Green Lake

Grand Traverse

Green Lake14

max 102 ft · surveyed

Water page

4. Long Lake

Long Lake is a 13-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Crescent Shores, the public ramp on Long Lake closest to downtown (≈ 7.7 mi). Public access on Long Lake: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 88 ft. Recorded here: Walleye, Largemouth Bass, White Sucker, and Bluegill.

Long Lake413 min · 9.3 mi
Lake

Long Lake

Grand Traverse

Crescent Shores7

max 88 ft · surveyed

Water page

5. Duck Lake

Duck Lake is a 22-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Interlochen State Park - Duck Lake, the public ramp on Duck Lake closest to downtown (≈ 11.5 mi). Public access on Duck Lake: 2 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 98 ft. Recorded here: Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Cisco, and Bluegill.

Duck Lake522 min · 15.1 mi
Lake

Duck Lake

Grand Traverse

Interlochen State Park - Duck Lake11

max 98 ft · surveyed

Water page

6. Torch Lake

Torch Lake is a 36-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Torch River Bridge, the public ramp on Torch Lake closest to downtown (≈ 15.4 mi). Public access on Torch Lake: 5 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 250 ft. Recorded here: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, and Atlantic Salmon.

Torch Lake636 min · 25.8 mi
Lake

Torch Lake

Antrim

Torch River Bridge7

max 250 ft · surveyed

Water page

7. Lake Leelanau

Lake Leelanau is a 15-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Lake Leelanau East, the public ramp on Lake Leelanau closest to downtown (≈ 8.9 mi). Public access on Lake Leelanau: 4 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 62 ft. Recorded here: Lake Trout, Cisco, and Lake Whitefish.

Lake Leelanau715 min · 9.1 mi
Lake

Lake Leelanau

Leelanau

Lake Leelanau East3

max 62 ft · surveyed

Water page

8. Lake Skegemog

Lake Skegemog is a 25-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Lake Skegemog, the public ramp on Lake Skegemog closest to downtown (≈ 14.1 mi). Public access on Lake Skegemog: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 29 ft. Recorded here: Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Black Bullhead, and Bluegill.

Lake Skegemog825 min · 17.1 mi
Lake

Lake Skegemog

Kalkaska

Lake Skegemog12

max 29 ft · surveyed

Water page

9. Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake is a 39-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Crystal Lake Marina, the public ramp on Crystal Lake closest to downtown (≈ 24.7 mi). Public access on Crystal Lake: 3 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 175 ft. Recorded here: Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brown Trout, and Atlantic Salmon.

Crystal Lake939 min · 30.4 mi
Lake

Crystal Lake

Benzie

Crystal Lake Marina6

max 175 ft · surveyed

Water page

10. Silver Lake

Silver Lake is a 9-minute drive from downtown Traverse City. Launch at Silver Lake, the public ramp on Silver Lake closest to downtown (≈ 5.1 mi). Public access on Silver Lake: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 96 ft. Recorded here: Walleye, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, and Rock Bass.

Silver Lake109 min · 6.5 mi
Lake

Silver Lake

Grand Traverse

Silver Lake5

max 96 ft · surveyed

Water page

When the fish bite here

By our bite calendar, Rainbow Trout is at peak around Traverse City in November. Rock Bass bites well.

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Where this guide comes from

Every sentence here is assembled from the data on the Traverse City fishing page: road drive times where a route was built (≈ marks straight-line distances), access points from state registries, the species recorded in each water and our bite calendar, adjusted for latitude. Nothing is written by hand or generated by AI.

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Know the water and the fish before you drive out.

Depth surveys, stocking records and water samples, straight from the public registries that hold them — brought together for one question: is it worth the drive?

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