← Roscommon County

Higgins Lake

πŸ“ Roscommon County, Michigan

One of Michigan's most beautiful lakes with crystal-clear water. State-record lake trout have been pulled from here. Excellent trout, walleye, and bass.

9,600
Acres
135 ft
Max depth
48
Fish species
3
Boat launches
βœ“
Public access
Conditions today C 54/100 Average conditions Last stocked Apr 16, 2026 Brown Trout, 199 days ago Keeper size (estimated) Rainbow Trout Stocked fish likely at keeper size by now Access 3 boat launches Public access

πŸ“Š Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Higgins Lake 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 atlantic salmon, lake trout and smallmouth bass), and the size of the lake. It does not include the weather forecast. The cards below show how many points each factor contributed.

C
54/100
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Conditions score

Average conditions, fish are catchable but may be selective.

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked Apr 16, 2026
Last: Apr 16, 2026
πŸŒ— Moon Phase
Last Quarter
Feeding bonus
πŸƒ Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
17 game/panfish species: outstanding variety
Game & panfish
πŸ“ Lake Size
9,600 acres. Great Lake/large reservoir
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Higgins Lake Today

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

πŸ“Š Fishing Pressure

Fishing pressure is our estimate of how busy Higgins Lake 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 atlantic salmon, lake trout and smallmouth bass.

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.

🐟 Fish Species in Higgins Lake

Atlantic Salmon Good
Salmo salar
Lake Trout Excellent
Salvelinus namaycush
Smallmouth Bass Excellent
Micropterus dolomieu
Bluegill Good
Lepomis macrochirus
Brown Trout Good
Salmo trutta
Rainbow Trout Good
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Splake Good
Salvelinus fontinalis x namaycush
Yellow Perch Good
Perca flavescens
Gizzard Shad Good
Dorosoma cepedianum
Golden Shiner Good
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Lake Herring Good
Coregonus artedi
Burbot Good
Lota lota
Lake Whitefish Good
Coregonus clupeaformis
Pumpkinseed Good
Lepomis gibbosus
Rainbow Smelt Good
Osmerus mordax
Rock Bass Good
Ambloplites rupestris
Cisco Fair
Coregonus artedi
Bluntnose Minnow Good
Pimephales notatus
Brook Silverside Good
Labidesthes sicculus
Brook Stickleback Good
Culaea inconstans
Central Mudminnow Good
Umbra limi
Common Shiner Good
Luxilus cornutus
Deepwater Sculpin Good
Myoxocephalus thompsonii
Emerald Shiner Good
Notropis atherinoides
Fathead Minnow Good
Pimephales promelas
Finescale Dace Good
Phoxinus neogaeus
Golden Redhorse Good
Moxostoma erythrurum
Goldfish Good
Carassius auratus
Lake Chub Good
Couesius plumbeus
Least Darter Good
Etheostoma microperca
Longnose Sucker Good
Catostomus catostomus
Mimic Shiner Good
Notropis volucellus
Mottled Sculpin Good
Cottus bairdii
Ninespine Stickleback Good
Pungitius pungitius
Northern Pearl Dace Good
Margariscus nachtriebi
Northern Redbelly Dace Good
Phoxinus eos
Quillback Good
Carpiodes cyprinus
Sand Shiner Good
Notropis stramineus
Shorthead Redhorse Good
Moxostoma macrolepidotum
Silver Redhorse Good
Moxostoma anisurum
Slimy Sculpin Good
Cottus cognatus
Spoonhead Sculpin Good
Cottus ricei
Spotfin Shiner Good
Cyprinella spiloptera
Spottail Shiner Good
Notropis hudsonius
Threespine Stickleback Good
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Trout-Perch Good
Percopsis omiscomaycus
Western Banded Killifish Good
Fundulus diaphanus
White Sucker Good
Catostomus commersonii
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πŸ“… Best Time to Fish Higgins Lake

Combined bite activity across all 48 species in this lake.

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

πŸ“ 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
Smallmouth Bass14"5 bass combined
BluegillNone25 sunfish combined
Brown Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Rainbow Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Splake8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Yellow PerchNone25
Lake HerringNone5 inland (with whitefish)
BurbotNone5
Lake WhitefishNone5 inland (with cisco)
PumpkinseedNone25 sunfish combined
Rock BassNone25 sunfish combined
πŸ“… Stocking Timeline 5-year history
60 Stocking events
945,152 Fish stocked
3 Species
200d Since last stock
363d Longest gap
Lake Trout 464,105
Rainbow Trout 302,474
Brown Trout 178,573
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
Apr '17
May '17
Apr '18
May '18
Oct '18
Apr '19
Apr '20
May '20
Apr '21
Sep '21
Apr '22
May '22
Oct '22
Apr '23
Mar '24
Apr '24
Apr '25
May '25
Oct '25
Apr '26

πŸ“‹ Higgins Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Apr 16, 2026 Brown Trout 6,790 7.4"
Apr 16, 2026 Brown Trout 6,789 7.4"
Apr 15, 2026 Rainbow Trout 11,620 7.7"
Apr 15, 2026 Rainbow Trout 2,559 7.7"
Apr 15, 2026 Brown Trout 9,921 7.2"
Apr 14, 2026 Lake Trout 31,454 5.6"
Oct 30, 2025 Rainbow Trout 25,532 5.1"
Oct 30, 2025 Rainbow Trout 9,834 5.1"
May 19, 2025 Rainbow Trout 8,588 8.5"
Apr 15, 2025 Rainbow Trout 21,897 7.6"
Apr 14, 2025 Brown Trout 20,798 7.7"
Apr 14, 2025 Brown Trout 4,000 7.4"
Apr 14, 2025 Rainbow Trout 4,000 7.6"
Apr 8, 2025 Lake Trout 30,799 5.6"
Apr 10, 2024 Lake Trout 19,625 5.7"
Apr 3, 2024 Rainbow Trout 27,498 7.2"
Mar 21, 2024 Brown Trout 23,300 7.0"
Apr 17, 2023 Brown Trout 11,250 7.2"
Apr 13, 2023 Rainbow Trout 11,940 6.5"
Apr 13, 2023 Rainbow Trout 11,950 6.5"
Apr 12, 2023 Lake Trout 25,801 5.7"
Oct 12, 2022 Lake Trout 112,100 3.9"
May 2, 2022 Rainbow Trout 11,260 7.0"
Apr 21, 2022 Lake Trout 29,995 5.4"
Apr 19, 2022 Brown Trout 12,400 7.2"
Showing 25 of 275 stocking records, newest first

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

πŸ“… Stocking Forecast

Based on 275 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: Apr.
Peak Stocking Months
Apr May Oct
Most Stocked Species
Rainbow Trout Brown Trout Lake Trout

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

βš“ Higgins Lake Boat Launches (3)

3 public access sites are listed for Higgins Lake. Select a launch for details. Details come from the Michigan DNR boating access data and can change, so check posted signs on site. See all Roscommon County boat launches.

Higgins Lake North State Park Launch Paved ramp Fee required 3 trailer lanes 90 parking
Address
N Higgins Lake Dr, Roscommon, MI 48653
Amenities
Vault toilet, Boating pier, AIS signage, Accessible parking, Accessible pier, Accessible restrooms
Hours
08:00-22:00
Phone
989-821-6125
Record updated
April 2026
Full details πŸ—Ί Directions
Higgins Lake West Paved ramp Fee required 6 trailer lanes 137 parking
Amenities
Vault toilet, Boating pier, AIS signage, Accessible parking, Accessible pier, Accessible restrooms
Hours
Open at all times
Phone
989-821-6125
Record updated
April 2026
Full details πŸ—Ί Directions
South Higgins Lake State Park Paved ramp Fee required 8 trailer lanes 210 parking
Amenities
Vault toilet, Modern restrooms, Boating pier, AIS signage, Accessible parking, Accessible restrooms
Hours
08:00-22:00
Phone
989-821-6374
Record updated
September 2026
Full details πŸ—Ί Directions

πŸ’‘ Angler Tips for Higgins Lake

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🌀 Current Higgins Lake Weather Conditions

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