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Lake James

5
Fish species
0
Boat launches
✓
Public access
Conditions today F 36/100 Tough conditions Last stocked Apr 22, 2020 Fathead Minnow, 6.5 years ago Keeper size (estimated) No estimate Not enough size data Access 0 boat launches Public access

📊 Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Lake James looks for the day you pick (today by default), from 0 to 100. It adds up five things: how recently the lake was stocked, the moon phase, the season, how many game and panfish species live here (such as black crappie, bluegill and walleye), and the size of the lake. It does not include the weather forecast. The cards below show how many points each factor contributed.

F
36/100
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Conditions score

Tough conditions, lower expectations or adjust your approach.

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked Apr 22, 2020
Last: Apr 22, 2020
🌗 Moon Phase
Last Quarter
Feeding bonus
🍃 Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
4 species recorded
Game & panfish
📐 Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Lake James Today

Fall fish at Lake James are feeding heavily before winter. Match the forage: shad, crawfish, and perch patterns work well.

📊 Fishing Pressure

Fishing pressure is our estimate of how busy Lake James is likely to be today. It looks at the day of the week, the time of year, and whether the lake has been stocked recently, because fresh stockings tend to draw anglers. Lower pressure usually means more room to work the water for black crappie, bluegill and walleye.

Moderate estimated pressure today
Weekend Popular stocking lake

Moderate activity expected. Midweek mornings are typically quieter.

Estimate based on day of week, season, and recent stocking. Not a live crowd count.

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📅 Best Time to Fish Lake James

Combined bite activity across all 5 species in this lake.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

📏 Fishing Regulations

Statewide general rules for the species found here. Individual waters can have exceptions (special size limits, closed seasons, trout lake types), so check this lake's listing in the official DNR Fishing Guide before heading out.
SpeciesMin sizeDaily limit
Black CrappieNone25 sunfish combined
BluegillNone25 sunfish combined
Walleye15"5
Hybrid SunfishNone25 sunfish combined
📅 Stocking Timeline 5-year history
3 Stocking events
179,084 Fish stocked
2 Species
2385d Since last stock
1079d Longest gap
Hybrid Sunfish 3,084
Fathead Minnow 176,000
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
May '17
Apr '20

📋 Lake James Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Apr 22, 2020 Fathead Minnow 66,000 2.5"
May 9, 2017 Fathead Minnow 110,000 1.5"
May 5, 2017 Hybrid Sunfish 3,084 6.0"
May 21, 2009 Black Crappie 550 3.5"
May 21, 2009 Bluegill 550 3.5"
Nov 12, 1998 Walleye 2,000 5.0"
Jul 11, 1996 Walleye 2,000 6.3"
Oct 18, 1995 Walleye 3,000 7.1"
Oct 20, 1994 Walleye 2,000 7.5"
Oct 14, 1993 Walleye 3,000 3.5"
Sep 20, 1992 Walleye 3,000 4.0"

* Records shown are from our database. For the most current data, visit the Michigan DNR directly.

📅 Stocking Forecast

Based on 11 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: May.
Peak Stocking Months
May Oct Nov
Most Stocked Species
Walleye Fathead Minnow Bluegill

* Forecast is based on historical DNR data and is not a guarantee of future stocking.

⚓ Lake James Boat Launches

No launch data on record for this lake. Browse all Michigan boat launches.

💡 Angler Tips for Lake James

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🌤 Current Lake James Weather Conditions

No coordinates on file for this lake.
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🔗 Resources

📋 DNR Stocking Database 📖 Michigan Fishing Guide (PDF) 🎣 Log a catch here