← Schoolcraft County

Big Island Lake

📍 Schoolcraft County, Michigan

Big Island Lake is a fishing water in Schoolcraft County, Michigan (Northern Lake Michigan management unit).

35
Fish species
0
Boat launches
✓
Public access
Conditions today D 40/100 Below-average Last stocked Nov 1, 2023 Muskellunge, 3 years ago Keeper size (estimated) Oct 2027 Next: Muskellunge Access 0 boat launches Public access

📊 Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Big Island 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 bluegill, largemouth bass and muskellunge), 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 Nov 1, 2023
Last: Nov 1, 2023
🌗 Moon Phase
Last Quarter
Feeding bonus
🍃 Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
5 game species present
Game & panfish
📐 Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Big Island Lake Today

Fall fish at Big Island Lake 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 Big Island 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 bluegill, largemouth bass and muskellunge.

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.

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📅 Best Time to Fish Big Island Lake

Combined bite activity across all 35 species in this lake.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
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📏 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
Largemouth Bass14"5 bass combined
Muskellunge42"1 per license year (registration required)
Northern Pike24"2
📅 Stocking Timeline 5-year history
3 Stocking events
475 Fish stocked
1 Species
1098d Since last stock
736d Longest gap
Muskellunge 475
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
Oct '19
Oct '21
Nov '23

📋 Big Island Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Nov 1, 2023 Muskellunge 130 9.0"
Oct 26, 2021 Muskellunge 150 9.2"
Oct 30, 2019 Muskellunge 195 7.8"
Oct 15, 2014 Muskellunge 195 8.8"
Oct 22, 2008 Muskellunge 299 9.7"
Oct 14, 2003 Muskellunge 200 11.5"
Sep 14, 1999 Muskellunge 262 10.8"
Sep 3, 1997 Muskellunge 152 10.4"
Aug 28, 1997 Muskellunge 30 10.4"
Aug 17, 1990 Muskellunge 198 10.5"
Aug 14, 1980 Muskellunge 260 8.2"

* 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: Aug.
Peak Stocking Months
Oct Aug Sep
Most Stocked Species
Muskellunge

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

⚓ Big Island Lake Boat Launches

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

💡 Angler Tips for Big Island Lake

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🌤 Current Big Island Lake Weather Conditions

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🔗 Resources

📋 DNR Stocking Database 📖 Michigan Fishing Guide (PDF) 🗺 View on Map 📍 Google Maps 🎣 Log a catch here