← Leelanau County

South Lake Leelanau

📍 Leelanau County, Michigan

South Lake Leelanau is a fishing water in Leelanau County, Michigan (Central Lake Michigan management unit).

36
Fish species
0
Boat launches
✓
Public access
Conditions today D 44/100 Below-average Last stocked Jun 2, 2001 Bluegill, 25.4 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 South Lake Leelanau 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 bluegill, brown trout and rainbow trout), and the size of the lake. It does not include the weather forecast. The cards below show how many points each factor contributed.

D
44/100
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Conditions score

Below-average, consider a different lake or time of day.

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked Jun 2, 2001
Last: Jun 2, 2001
🌗 Moon Phase
Last Quarter
Feeding bonus
🍃 Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
9 game/panfish species: outstanding variety
Game & panfish
📐 Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for South Lake Leelanau Today

Fall fish at South Lake Leelanau 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 South Lake Leelanau 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 bluegill, brown trout and rainbow trout.

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 South Lake Leelanau

Bluegill Good
Lepomis macrochirus
Brown Trout Good
Salmo trutta
Rainbow Trout Good
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Smallmouth Bass Good
Micropterus dolomieu
Walleye Good
Sander vitreus
Yellow Perch Good
Perca flavescens
Golden Shiner Good
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Redear Sunfish Good
Lepomis microlophus
Rock Bass Good
Ambloplites rupestris
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
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
Sand Shiner Good
Notropis stramineus
Shorthead Redhorse Good
Moxostoma macrolepidotum
Slimy Sculpin Good
Cottus cognatus
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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📅 Best Time to Fish South Lake Leelanau

Combined bite activity across all 36 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
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"
Smallmouth Bass14"5 bass combined
Walleye15"5
Yellow PerchNone25
Redear SunfishNone25 sunfish combined
Rock BassNone25 sunfish combined

📋 South Lake Leelanau Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Jun 2, 2001 Bluegill 3,845 4.5"
Apr 25, 2001 Walleye 5,500,000 0.2"
Oct 6, 1999 Bluegill 5,600 5.5"
Apr 22, 1998 Walleye 5,000,000 0.2"
Oct 1, 1997 Redear Sunfish 15,258 2.5"
Oct 24, 1996 Redear Sunfish 11,827 2.0"
Apr 25, 1996 Bluegill 5,050 5.0"
Sep 26, 1995 Redear Sunfish 11,000 2.0"
Sep 20, 1995 Redear Sunfish 8,640 1.8"
Apr 20, 1995 Walleye 6,500,000 0.2"
May 1, 1992 Walleye 6,500,000 0.2"
Apr 17, 1991 Brown Trout 11,900 6.3"
Apr 16, 1990 Brown Trout 14,200 6.3"
May 11, 1989 Walleye 2,500,000 0.2"
May 11, 1989 Walleye 113,550 0.2"
May 9, 1989 Walleye 3,500,000 0.2"
May 3, 1989 Brown Trout 12,000 5.9"
Aug 25, 1988 Walleye 5,200 3.7"
Apr 19, 1988 Brown Trout 12,000 6.1"
Jun 2, 1987 Brown Trout 1,200 6.2"
Apr 17, 1987 Brown Trout 10,800 5.6"
Jul 2, 1986 Walleye 50 2.3"
Jun 11, 1986 Walleye 10,500 1.9"
Apr 22, 1986 Brown Trout 10,550 6.2"
May 15, 1985 Brown Trout 10,130 6.1"
Showing 25 of 35 stocking records, newest first

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

📅 Stocking Forecast

Based on 35 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: Apr.
Peak Stocking Months
Apr May Jun
Most Stocked Species
Brown Trout Walleye Redear Sunfish

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

⚓ South Lake Leelanau Boat Launches

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

💡 Angler Tips for South Lake Leelanau

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🌤 Current South Lake Leelanau 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