← Emmet County

Crooked Lake

πŸ“ Emmet County, Michigan

Crystal-clear northern Michigan lake. Small but holds trophy lake trout and exceptional smallmouth bass. Part of the Inland Waterway chain.

650
Acres
90 ft
Max depth
49
Fish species
1
Boat launches
βœ“
Public access
Conditions today C 49/100 Average conditions Last stocked Apr 26, 2019 Hybrid Sunfish, 7.5 years ago Keeper size (estimated) No estimate Not enough size data Access 1 boat launch Public access

πŸ“Š Fishing Conditions

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

C
49/100
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Conditions score

Average conditions, fish are catchable but may be selective.

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked Apr 26, 2019
Last: Apr 26, 2019
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
650 acres: mid-size lake
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Crooked Lake Today

Fall fish at Crooked 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 Crooked 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 lake trout, smallmouth bass and bluegill.

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 Crooked Lake

Lake Trout Excellent
Salvelinus namaycush
Smallmouth Bass Excellent
Micropterus dolomieu
Bluegill Good
Lepomis macrochirus
Brook Trout Good
Salvelinus fontinalis
Brown Trout Good
Salmo trutta
Muskellunge Good
Esox masquinongy
Northern Pike Good
Esox lucius
Rainbow Trout Good
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Splake Good
Salvelinus fontinalis x namaycush
Walleye Good
Sander vitreus
Yellow Perch Good
Perca flavescens
Gizzard Shad Good
Dorosoma cepedianum
Golden Shiner Good
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Lake Herring Good
Coregonus artedi
Hybrid Sunfish Good
Lepomis macrochirus x Lepomis cyanellus
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
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
Pugnose Shiner Good
Notropis anogenus
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
Caught something here? Log your catch
πŸ””
Get our free weekly stocking newsletter We'll send you a weekly roundup of the latest DNR stocking activity across Michigan.

πŸ“… Best Time to Fish Crooked Lake

Combined bite activity across all 49 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
Brook Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Brown Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Muskellunge42"1 per license year (registration required)
Northern Pike24"2
Rainbow Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Splake8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Walleye15"5
Yellow PerchNone25
Lake HerringNone5 inland (with whitefish)
Hybrid SunfishNone25 sunfish combined
Redear SunfishNone25 sunfish combined
Rock BassNone25 sunfish combined
πŸ“… Stocking Timeline 5-year history
4 Stocking events
17,610 Fish stocked
3 Species
2746d Since last stock
682d Longest gap
Muskellunge 66
Walleye 15,560
Hybrid Sunfish 1,984
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
Apr '17
Jun '17
Apr '19

πŸ“‹ Crooked Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Apr 26, 2019 Hybrid Sunfish 1,984 5.5"
Jun 13, 2017 Walleye 15,560 1.6"
Apr 5, 2017 Muskellunge 16 41.6"
Apr 3, 2017 Muskellunge 50 41.6"
Jun 16, 2015 Walleye 15,284 1.5"
May 20, 2015 Brown Trout 1,100 6.0"
Jun 16, 2014 Walleye 5,000 1.6"
May 23, 2013 Brown Trout 900 6.2"
Jun 4, 2012 Walleye 6,840 1.5"
Jun 14, 2011 Walleye 5,876 1.5"
May 9, 2011 Brown Trout 1,047 7.4"
May 22, 2008 Brown Trout 1,000 6.4"
Jun 8, 2006 Walleye 25,000 1.4"
Apr 28, 2006 Brown Trout 1,200 7.8"
Nov 10, 2005 Northern Pike 63 10.5"
Jun 13, 2005 Walleye 5,038 1.5"
Jun 14, 2004 Walleye 27,595 1.3"
May 5, 2004 Brown Trout 1,000 6.8"
Jun 24, 2003 Walleye 7,150 1.4"
May 22, 2003 Muskellunge 7 30.0"
Oct 2, 2002 Muskellunge 560 12.1"
May 8, 2002 Brown Trout 1,130 7.1"
May 22, 2001 Splake 1,360 7.9"
Oct 5, 2000 Muskellunge 641 11.4"
Sep 21, 2000 Walleye 1,025 7.0"
Showing 25 of 109 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 109 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: May.
Peak Stocking Months
Jun May Oct
Most Stocked Species
Walleye Muskellunge Splake

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

βš“ Crooked Lake Boat Launches (1)

One public access site is listed for Crooked 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 Emmet County boat launches.

Crooked Lake Paved ramp Fee required 1 trailer lane 12 parking
Amenities
Vault toilet, Boating pier, AIS signage, Accessible pier, Accessible restrooms
Hours
04:00-23:00
Phone
231-347-2311
Record updated
April 2026
Full details πŸ—Ί Directions

πŸ’‘ Angler Tips for Crooked Lake

No tips yet for this lake. Sign in to share tips and photos.
πŸ’¬Be the first to share an angler tip Sign in to share a tip

🌀 Current Crooked Lake Weather Conditions

Loading weather data…
πŸ””
Get our free weekly stocking newsletter We'll send you a weekly roundup of the latest DNR stocking activity across Michigan.