← Iron County

Forest Lake

πŸ“ Iron County, Michigan

Forest Lake is a fishing water in Iron County, Michigan (Northern Lake Michigan management unit).

36
Fish species
0
Boat launches
βœ“
Public access
Conditions today D 40/100 Below-average Last stocked Oct 22, 2025 Brook Trout, 1 years ago Keeper size (estimated) Walleye Stocked fish likely at keeper size by now Access 0 boat launches Public access

πŸ“Š Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Forest 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 brook trout, smallmouth bass 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.

D
40/100
Monday, November 2, 2026
Conditions score

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

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked Oct 22, 2025
Last: Oct 22, 2025
πŸŒ— Moon Phase
Last Quarter
Feeding bonus
πŸƒ Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
6 game species present
Game & panfish
πŸ“ Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Forest Lake Today

Fall fish at Forest 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 Forest 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 brook trout, smallmouth bass and walleye.

Very Low estimated pressure today
Popular stocking lake

Very little activity expected. A great time to have the lake to yourself.

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

🐟 Fish Species in Forest Lake

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πŸ“… Best Time to Fish Forest Lake

Combined bite activity across all 36 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
Brook Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Smallmouth Bass14"5 bass combined
Walleye15"5
Yellow PerchNone25
Hybrid SunfishNone25 sunfish combined
πŸ“… Stocking Timeline 5-year history
10 Stocking events
46,408 Fish stocked
2 Species
377d Since last stock
378d Longest gap
Brook Trout 7,278
Walleye 39,130
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
Oct '17
Jun '18
Oct '18
Oct '19
Oct '20
Nov '21
Oct '22
Oct '23
Oct '24
Oct '25

πŸ“‹ Forest Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Oct 22, 2025 Brook Trout 798 6.8"
Oct 28, 2024 Brook Trout 880 6.6"
Oct 27, 2023 Brook Trout 800 5.9"
Oct 26, 2022 Brook Trout 800 5.9"
Nov 3, 2021 Brook Trout 800 6.2"
Oct 21, 2020 Brook Trout 800 5.6"
Oct 22, 2019 Brook Trout 800 5.7"
Oct 26, 2018 Brook Trout 800 5.5"
Jun 25, 2018 Walleye 39,130 2.0"
Oct 27, 2017 Brook Trout 800 6.3"
Oct 18, 2016 Brook Trout 800 6.1"
Jun 24, 2016 Walleye 26,070 2.0"
Oct 20, 2015 Brook Trout 800 5.6"
Apr 21, 2015 Walleye 880 6.0"
Oct 16, 2014 Brook Trout 800 5.5"
Jun 26, 2014 Walleye 21,300 1.9"
Oct 16, 2013 Brook Trout 800 5.7"
Oct 15, 2012 Brook Trout 800 6.0"
Jun 22, 2012 Walleye 8,598 2.1"
Oct 18, 2011 Brook Trout 1,172 5.6"
Jun 27, 2011 Walleye 11,305 1.8"
Oct 12, 2010 Brook Trout 1,218 5.3"
Oct 22, 2009 Brook Trout 1,000 6.2"
Oct 16, 2008 Brook Trout 700 5.7"
May 30, 2008 Hybrid Sunfish 450 5.9"
Showing 25 of 80 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 80 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: Jun.
Peak Stocking Months
Oct Jul Jun
Most Stocked Species
Brook Trout Walleye Yellow Perch

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

βš“ Forest Lake Boat Launches

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

πŸ’‘ Angler Tips for Forest Lake

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🌀 Current Forest Lake Weather Conditions

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