Higgins Lake fishing: Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Lake Whitefish

Target species: Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Lake Whitefish, Cisco, Brown Trout, Lake Trout
Boat: 4 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Higgins Lake West, 6 lanes.

The lake

Higgins Lake covers 10,221 acres in Michigan, across 2 counties: Roscommon and Crawford. It is a lake: 91.8% of it is 100 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 130 feet (39.6 m). Our records hold 8 species for this water.

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 130 ft (39.6 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 91.8% of the water is 100 feet or shallower. We hold 38 depth contour lines for this water.

Higgins Lake 2016 006.jpg
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  • 0–10 ft: 24.5% of the water
  • 10–20 ft: 7% of the water
  • 20–30 ft: 5.6% of the water
  • 30–40 ft: 4.6% of the water
  • 40–50 ft: 4.8% of the water
  • 50–60 ft: 5.6% of the water
  • 60–70 ft: 7.3% of the water
  • 70–80 ft: 10.1% of the water
  • 80–90 ft: 13% of the water
  • 90–100 ft: 9.3% of the water
  • 100–110 ft: 2.6% of the water
  • 110–120 ft: 3.6% of the water
  • 120–130 ft: 1.9% of the water

6 target fish, led by Atlantic Salmon

  • Atlantic Salmon — Feeding water: 45–60°F.
  • Rainbow Trout — Feeding water: 50–65°F.
  • Lake Whitefish — Feeding water: 40–55°F.
  • Cisco — Feeding water: 40–60°F.
  • Brown Trout — Feeding water: 50–65°F.
  • Lake Trout — Feeding water: 50–65°F.

Also recorded here: Common Carp, Emerald Shiner.

Stocking: 4,692,040 fish, 1997–2026

Michigan DNR records list 4,692,040 fish released into this water from 1997 to 2026.

North Higgins Lake State Park.jpg
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  • Lake Trout: 1,813,754 in 2007–2026
  • Rainbow Trout: 1,411,660 in 2007–2026
  • Brown Trout: 1,121,621 in 2000–2026
  • Atlantic Salmon: 66,636 in 1982–1990

One more species on the stocking list.

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 26.9–44.1 feet on our readings, averaging 34.5 feet, from 140 readings. Our water temperature readings average 67°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. These readings span 2017–2023.

North Higgins Lake State Park beachfront (2020).jpg
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4 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 2 trailer ramps and 2 boat ramps.

  • Higgins Lake West — 6 lanes, restrooms. North Higgins Lake State Park. phone 989-821-6125
  • North Higgins Lake State Park — 3 lanes, open 8am–10pm, restrooms. North Higgins Lake State Park. phone 989-821-6125
  • B & B Sports Center & Marina — Roscommon. 431 Clare Boulevard, Roscommon 48653 · phone +1 989 821 6549 · website bandbmarina.com
  • Gerrish Township Community Park Marina — Roscommon. 103 Mill Road, Roscommon 48653 · phone +1 989 821 1616 · website gerrishtownshipmarina.com

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 4 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 10,221 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle.

Where this data comes from

  • Michigan EGLE — Michigan EGLE: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.