Torch Lake fishing: Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout

Target species: Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Lake Whitefish, Cisco, Lake Trout, Brown Trout
Boat: 6 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Torch River Bridge, 2 lanes.

The lake

Torch Lake covers 18,800 acres in Michigan, across Antrim County. It is a lake: the deepest point measured is at least 250 feet (76.2 m). Our records hold 7 species for this water.

Torch Lake Antrim County (July 2019).jpg
Notorious4life (talk) (Uploads) · CC0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 250 ft (76.2 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. We hold 22 depth contour lines for this water.

Michigan's Torch Lake.jpg
Hgjudd · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • 0–20 ft: 18.4% of the water
  • 20–40 ft: 8.8% of the water
  • 40–60 ft: 5.6% of the water
  • 60–80 ft: 4.3% of the water
  • 80–100 ft: 4% of the water
  • 100–120 ft: 4.2% of the water
  • 120–140 ft: 4.2% of the water
  • 140–160 ft: 3.7% of the water
  • 160–180 ft: 3.6% of the water
  • 180–200 ft: 4.1% of the water
  • 200–220 ft: 9% of the water
  • 220–240 ft: 7.7% of the water
  • 240–250 ft: 22.6% of the water

7 target fish, led by Atlantic Salmon

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

Stocking: 2,442,377 fish, 1992–2026

Michigan DNR records list 2,442,377 fish released into this water from 1992 to 2026.

Torch Lake - Summer 2006 (023).jpg
Andrew Lin · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Atlantic Salmon: 1,140,496 in 2002–2026
  • Brown Trout: 535,509 in 1987–1996
  • Lake Trout: 395,000 in 1979–1986
  • Rainbow Trout: 349,492 in 1991–2005
  • Brook Trout: 21,880 in 1987

6 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 3 trailer ramps, 2 boat ramps and 1 hand launch.

  • Torch River Bridge — 2 lanes, open 4am–11pm, restrooms. Traverse City State Park. phone 231-922-5270
  • Eastport — 1 lane, open 4am–11pm, restrooms. Young State Park. phone 231-582-7523
  • Waring Road — 1 lane. Milton Township. phone 231-264-6612
  • Butch's Tackle and Marine — Bellaire. 6235 Crystal Springs Road, Bellaire 49615 · phone +1 231 377 6787 · website butchstorchlake.com
  • Helena Township — Helena Township. phone 231-331-4643

Car-top and kayak launches — no trailer

  • Forest Home Township Park — Forest Home Township. phone 231-533-8003

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 6 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.

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 21.3–44 feet on our readings, averaging 32.6 feet, from 124 readings. Our water temperature readings average 63°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 6.9. These readings span 2017–2024.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 18,800 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.