← Charlevoix County

Deer Lake

πŸ“ Charlevoix County, Michigan

Deer Lake is a fishing water in Charlevoix County, Michigan (Central Lake Michigan management unit).

40
Fish species
1
Boat launches
βœ“
Public access
Conditions today C+ 56/100 Average conditions Last stocked Nov 3, 2025 Lake Trout, 362 days ago Keeper size (estimated) Walleye Stocked fish likely at keeper size by now Access 1 boat launch Public access

πŸ“Š Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Deer Lake (Charlevoix County) 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 brook trout), and the size of the lake. It does not include the weather forecast. The cards below show how many points each factor contributed.

C+
56/100
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Conditions score

Average conditions, fish are catchable but may be selective.

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked Nov 3, 2025
Last: Nov 3, 2025
πŸŒ– Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous
Feeding bonus
πŸ‚ Season
Fall feeding frenzy
October
🐟 Species
12 game/panfish species: outstanding variety
Game & panfish
πŸ“ Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Deer Lake (Charlevoix County) Today

Fall fish at Deer Lake (Charlevoix County) 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 Deer Lake (Charlevoix County) 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 brook trout.

High estimated pressure today
Weekend Peak season Popular stocking lake

Expect other anglers. Arrive early or fish early morning for best results.

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

🐟 Fish Species in Deer Lake

Black Crappie Good
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Bluegill Good
Lepomis macrochirus
Brook Trout Good
Salvelinus fontinalis
Lake Trout Good
Salvelinus namaycush
Largemouth Bass Good
Micropterus salmoides
Northern Pike Good
Esox lucius
Rainbow Trout Good
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Walleye Good
Sander vitreus
Yellow Perch Good
Perca flavescens
Golden Shiner Good
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Brown Bullhead Good
Ameiurus nebulosus
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
Pugnose Shiner Good
Notropis anogenus
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
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 Deer Lake

Combined bite activity across all 40 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
Black CrappieNone25 sunfish combined
BluegillNone25 sunfish combined
Brook Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Largemouth Bass14"5 bass combined
Northern Pike24"2
Rainbow Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Walleye15"5
Yellow PerchNone25
Rock BassNone25 sunfish combined
πŸ“… Stocking Timeline 5-year history
26 Stocking events
40,064 Fish stocked
4 Species
362d Since last stock
399d Longest gap
Rainbow Trout 15,299
Walleye 21,916
Brook Trout 2,209
Lake Trout 640
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
May '17
Sep '17
Oct '17
May '18
Jun '18
Jul '18
Sep '18
Apr '19
May '19
Oct '19
Oct '20
May '21
Oct '21
Jun '22
May '23
Jun '24
Oct '24
Dec '24
Apr '25
May '25
Sep '25
Nov '25

πŸ“‹ Deer Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Nov 3, 2025 Lake Trout 100 28.6"
Sep 3, 2025 Walleye 735 3.6"
May 27, 2025 Brook Trout 396 9.3"
Apr 30, 2025 Lake Trout 30 27.7"
Apr 30, 2025 Lake Trout 20 27.1"
Dec 18, 2024 Lake Trout 150 32.6"
Oct 8, 2024 Walleye 423 4.3"
Jun 18, 2024 Walleye 8,523 1.1"
May 16, 2023 Brook Trout 396 8.2"
Jun 28, 2022 Walleye 3,976 1.8"
Oct 28, 2021 Lake Trout 100 21.6"
Oct 20, 2021 Walleye 755 6.1"
May 3, 2021 Brook Trout 360 8.6"
Oct 22, 2020 Lake Trout 140 25.7"
Oct 2, 2019 Walleye 350 4.4"
Oct 1, 2019 Walleye 836 4.4"
May 28, 2019 Brook Trout 358 8.3"
May 9, 2019 Rainbow Trout 5,000 6.9"
Apr 6, 2019 Rainbow Trout 300 11.8"
Sep 27, 2018 Walleye 610 8.0"
Jul 12, 2018 Lake Trout 100 29.1"
Jun 25, 2018 Walleye 5,031 2.0"
May 23, 2018 Rainbow Trout 4,999 8.0"
Oct 31, 2017 Brook Trout 699 6.2"
Sep 12, 2017 Walleye 677 8.8"
Showing 25 of 100 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 100 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: May.
Peak Stocking Months
Oct Jun May
Most Stocked Species
Walleye Brook Trout Rainbow Trout

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

βš“ Deer Lake Boat Launches (1)

One public access site is listed for Deer 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 Charlevoix County boat launches.

Deer Lake Paved ramp Fee required 1 trailer lane 8 parking
Amenities
Vault toilet, Boating pier, AIS signage, Accessible restrooms
Hours
04:00-23:00
Phone
231-582-7523
Record updated
April 2026
Full details πŸ—Ί Directions

πŸ’‘ Angler Tips for Deer 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 Deer 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.