Lake Leelanau fishing: Lake Whitefish, Cisco, Lake Trout
Target species: Lake Whitefish, Cisco, Lake Trout
Boat: 5 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Lake Leelanau East, 2 lanes.
The lake
Lake Leelanau covers 8,669 acres in Michigan, across Leelanau County. It is a lake: the deepest point measured is at least 62 feet (18.9 m). Our records hold 3 species for this water.
Depth and bottom
Deepest measured point: at least 62 ft (18.9 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. We hold 413 depth contours for this water, drawn from 16,165 soundings.
- 0–3 ft: 8.3% of the water
- 3–6 ft: 6.2% of the water
- 6–9 ft: 4.9% of the water
- 9–12 ft: 4.2% of the water
- 12–15 ft: 4.7% of the water
- 15–18 ft: 3.6% of the water
- 18–21 ft: 3.3% of the water
- 21–24 ft: 3.5% of the water
- 24–27 ft: 3.8% of the water
- 27–30 ft: 4.5% of the water
- 30–33 ft: 5% of the water
- 33–36 ft: 4.7% of the water
- 36–39 ft: 4.6% of the water
- 39–42 ft: 4.4% of the water
- 42–45 ft: 4.9% of the water
- 45–48 ft: 3.9% of the water
- 48–51 ft: 2.9% of the water
- 51–54 ft: 2.1% of the water
- 54–57 ft: 1.7% of the water
- 57–60 ft: 19% of the water
Stocking: 47,183 fish in 2024
USFWS/GLFC records list 47,183 fish released into this water in 2024.
- Lake Trout: 47,183 in 2024
3 target fish, led by Lake Whitefish
- Lake Whitefish — Feeding water: 40–55°F.
- Cisco — Feeding water: 40–60°F.
- Lake Trout — Feeding water: 50–65°F.
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 10–21 feet on our readings, averaging 14.9 feet, from 190 readings. Our water temperature readings average 70°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. These readings span 2017–2021. The latest reading is from 2021, more than three years ago: read these numbers as history, not as the water today.
5 ramps and launches on this water
On this water we hold 3 trailer ramps and 2 boat ramps.
- Lake Leelanau East — 2 lanes, open 4am–11pm, restrooms. Traverse City State Park. phone 231-922-5270
- The Narrows — 2 lanes, open 4am–11pm, restrooms. Traverse City State Park. phone 231-922-5270
- Lake Leelanau West — 1 lane, open 4am–11pm, restrooms. Traverse City State Park. phone 231-922-5270
- Lake Leelanau North — Leland Township. phone 231-263-7905
- The Narrows Yacht Club — Lake Leelanau. 102 South Saint Mary's Street, Lake Leelanau 49653 · phone +1 231 994 2166 · website thenarrowsyachtclub.com
Fee and opening hours are blank for all 5 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: 8,669 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle.
Where this data comes from
- NOAA National Geodetic Survey / Office for Coastal Management — NOAA topobathymetric lidar DEMs: class A, a survey of the bottom, 2019.
- NOAA Digital Coast — NOAA Digital Coast bathymetric lidar: class A, a survey of the bottom, 2011.
- NOAA National Bathymetric Source (S-102 ed3.0.0) — NOAA S-102 bathymetric surfaces: contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- 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.
