← Iosco County

Chain Lakes

📍 Iosco County, Michigan

Chain Lakes is a fishing water in Iosco County, Michigan (Northern Lake Huron management unit).

37
Fish species
0
Boat launches
✓
Public access
Conditions today D 44/100 Below-average Last stocked Nov 6, 2023 Bluegill, 3 years ago Keeper size (estimated) Black Crappie Stocked fish likely at keeper size by now Access 0 boat launches Public access

📊 Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Chain Lakes 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 black crappie, bluegill and largemouth bass), 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 Nov 6, 2023
Last: Nov 6, 2023
🌗 Moon Phase
Last Quarter
Feeding bonus
🍃 Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
10 game/panfish species: outstanding variety
Game & panfish
📐 Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Chain Lakes Today

Fall fish at Chain Lakes 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 Chain Lakes 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 black crappie, bluegill and largemouth 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 Chain Lakes

Black Crappie Good
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Bluegill Good
Lepomis macrochirus
Largemouth Bass Good
Micropterus salmoides
Northern Pike Good
Esox lucius
Walleye Good
Sander vitreus
Yellow Perch Good
Perca flavescens
Golden Shiner Good
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Brown Bullhead Good
Ameiurus nebulosus
Hybrid Sunfish Good
Lepomis macrochirus x Lepomis cyanellus
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 Chain Lakes

Combined bite activity across all 37 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
Black CrappieNone25 sunfish combined
BluegillNone25 sunfish combined
Largemouth Bass14"5 bass combined
Northern Pike24"2
Walleye15"5
Yellow PerchNone25
Hybrid SunfishNone25 sunfish combined
Rock BassNone25 sunfish combined
📅 Stocking Timeline 5-year history
6 Stocking events
4,308 Fish stocked
4 Species
1091d Since last stock
1113d Longest gap
Black Crappie 2,150
Bluegill 900
Hybrid Sunfish 500
Walleye 758
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
May '18
May '21
Nov '23

📋 Chain Lakes Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Nov 6, 2023 Bluegill 400 5.0"
Nov 6, 2023 Walleye 758 5.0"
May 25, 2021 Black Crappie 1,650 3.0"
May 8, 2018 Hybrid Sunfish 500 3.0"
May 8, 2018 Bluegill 500 3.0"
May 8, 2018 Black Crappie 500 3.0"
May 20, 2016 Black Crappie 300 6.0"
May 20, 2016 Yellow Perch 800 6.0"
Nov 13, 2013 Bluegill 800 4.0"

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

📅 Stocking Forecast

Based on 9 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: May.
Peak Stocking Months
May Nov
Most Stocked Species
Black Crappie Bluegill Hybrid Sunfish

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

⚓ Chain Lakes Boat Launches

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

💡 Angler Tips for Chain Lakes

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🌤 Current Chain Lakes Weather Conditions

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🔗 Resources

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