Fishing Report For Torch Lake, MI

By Rick Seaman

January 30, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Torch Lake Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
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Boat Launch Ramps
Fishing License
Map
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Fishing Report Torch Lake, MI

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Torch Lake, MI

Smallmouth Bass

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook:Very Good To Excellent

Torch Lake offers quality smallmouth bass fishing, in the clear cool water smallies love. Topwater baits and crankbaits are a good way to cover lots of water, and the smallies here are prone to strike them both pretty aggressively. Tournament anglers report catching smallmouth when the bite turns off, by fishing small tube baits on light line. The first hour and the last hour of the day is a good time to find smallmouth feeding in very shallow water. Once the sun gets up, down go the bass to hang out on breaks in structure.

Lake Trout

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very

Lake trout feed on small fish, so lures imitating baitfish, sunfish or small trout are good choices. Captain Jim, of Fish with Jim Outfitters, reports that fishing for lake trout in Torch is usually best trolling with downriggers in the 180' to 220' range during summer. Other locals suggest anglers using nightcrawlers or Berkeley Power Crawlers catching lakers, fishing on drop-shot rigs. Flashy spoons can be fished at any depth, either jigging, trolling or cast and retrieve. For big lakers, use larger baits. Fishing for lake trout in Torch Lake can require fishing as deep as 250 feet or more during, especially in Summer and Winter.

Walleye

Current Report: Fair To Good
Outlook: Good

Walleye like to slow cruise around flats and structure close to deep water. They primarily feed close to the bottom, When walleye are in 12' to 25' of water a blade bait or a swimbait is a good way to locate the fish. Fan cast and cover lots of water. Jighead weights vary from 1/4 oz to 3/4 oz depending on depth and wind conditions. Once you locate a school, a drop-shot rig with minnow-shaped plastics is a good way to work the school. Locals report spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners are a great for trolling.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, steelhead, rock bass, yellow perch, Atlantic salmon, muskie and northern pike at Torch Lake in Michigan.

Torch Lake is an excellent destination for fishing. The lake is 19 miles long with 18,800 surface acres. and over 40 miles of shoreline. Known for its crystal clear water, the lake is renowned for its populations of smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Fishing License

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Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".