Glen Lake Fishing
A 4,875-acre Michigan lake in Leelanau County, trout lake Type E.
Pick for lake troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Jamesdisher, CC BY-SA 3.0
Glen Lake for visiting anglers
EGLE mapping gives Glen Lake 4,875 acres of surface water inside Leelanau County. Base a trip in Glen Arbor, about 2 miles from the lake. MDNR biologists of the Central Lake Michigan unit cover it (Lower Peninsula). EPA ecoregion: North Central Hardwood Forests. Watershed: Northeastern Lake Michigan-Lake Michigan.
Anglers can expect lake whitefish, cisco, lake trout, rainbow trout and trout, per MDNR records. In 2023, July to September imagery gave roughly 25.2 feet of clarity.
For the lake trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Fish recorded in Glen Lake
Chips below show what the MDNR has documented in Glen Lake.
MDNR Fish Atlas records from Glen Lake
| Species | Atlas records | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Lake whitefish | 1 | 1997 |
| Lake herring | 3 | 1949 to 1979 |
MDNR Fish Atlas and Family Friendly Fishing lists, MDNR stocking table, checked October 2026. Older collections are history, not a current survey.
Glen Lake on the trout lake list
| Rule | Value for Glen Lake |
|---|---|
| Regulation | Type E Non Designated |
| Fishing season | January 1st to December 31st |
| Possession season | January 1st to December 31st |
| Daily possession | Three (3) trout and Atlantic salmon, combined and zero (0) Arctic Grayling. |
| Tackle | All types of natural bait and artificial lures may be used. |
| Minimum sizes | brook 15", brown 15", rainbow 15", splake 15", lake trout 15", Chinook 10", coho 10", pink 10", Atlantic 15" |
MDNR files Glen Lake under inland trout lake Type E.
MDNR Trout and Salmon Inland Lake Regulation Types layer and 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), pp. 42-65.
Getting a boat onto Glen Lake
MDNR data place no public launch on Glen Lake; the closest mapped launches follow.
Other public launches near Glen Lake
- Glen Lake Boat AccessGlen Lake, 2 miles west
- Lime Lake Boat Access near Maple CityLime Lake, 6 miles east
- Armstrong Lake Boat AccessArmstrong Lake, 6 miles southeast
- Garey Lake State Forest Campground Boat AccessGarey Lake, 6 miles south
- Brooks Lake Boat Access near Lake AnnBrooks Lake, 7 miles south
- Davis Lake Boat AccessDavis Lake, 8 miles southeast
MDNR Parks and Recreation boat access sites and MDNR fishing sites, checked October 2026.
Satellite clarity readings for Glen Lake
Clarity at Glen Lake is estimated from summer Landsat scenes by EGLE.
EGLE put 2023 chlorophyll a at 0.76 micrograms per liter.
EGLE Michigan Inland Lakes Water Clarity layer (Landsat, July to September), checked October 2026. Depth is not published here: the layer depth fields are unreliable.
Size and bag limits on Glen Lake
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | 5 in any combination; minimum 14 inches | Possession: Sat. before Memorial Day – Dec. 31; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Walleye (Lower Peninsula) | 5; minimum 15 inches | Last Sat. in April – March 15 |
| Northern pike (Lower Peninsula) | 2; minimum 24 inches | Last Sat. in April – March 15 |
| Muskellunge | Only 1 per angler per license year (April 1 – March 31); mandatory harvest registration within 24 hours; minimum 42 inches (46, 50 or 38 inches on listed waters) | Possession: 1st Sat. in June – March 15; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Yellow perch | 25 | Open all year |
| Sunfish and crappie | 25 in any combination of the listed species | Open all year |
| Channel catfish | 10; minimum 12 inches | Open all year |
| Flathead catfish | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open all year |
| White bass | 10 | Open all year |
| Cisco and whitefish | 5 in any combination | Open all year |
| Burbot | 5 | Open all year |
| Trout and salmon (lake Type E) | 3; minimum brook 15", brown/rainbow/splake 15", lake trout 15", Chinook/coho/pink 10", Atlantic 15" | Open all year |
For Glen Lake, statewide inland limits for the Lower Peninsula apply unless an exception is listed.
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), statewide tables and county exceptions, checked October 2026.
Fish planted in Glen Lake
The MDNR stocking table logs 8 plants in Glen Lake from 2024 to 2026, 126,633 fish in all, mostly rainbow trout.
| Date | Species | Strain | Avg length | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 15, 2026 | Lake trout | Lake Superior | 14.3 in | 15,100 |
| April 7, 2026 | Rainbow trout | Eagle Lake | 19.4 in | 20,684 |
| April 14, 2025 | Lake trout | Lake Superior | 14.4 in | 15,393 |
| November 24, 2025 | Rainbow trout | Eagle Lake | 11.3 in | 24,520 |
| April 9, 2025 | Rainbow trout | Eagle Lake | 19.5 in | 20,699 |
| April 10, 2024 | Lake trout | Lake Superior | 14.5 in | 8,242 |
| April 1, 2024 | Rainbow trout | Eagle Lake | 15.5 in | 16,455 |
| April 2, 2024 | Rainbow trout | Eagle Lake | 19.6 in | 5,540 |
MDNR Fish Stocking Report table, January 2024 to October 2026. Michigan stocking.
Lakes around Glen Lake side by side
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Clarity ft | Fish listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Lake | 4,875 | 0 | 25.2 | 5 | |
| Glen Lake, Little | 3 miles west | 1,416 | 1 | 8.9 | 0 |
| Armstrong Lake, Leelanau County | 6 miles southeast | 41 | 1 | 13.4 | 0 |
| Lime Lake, Leelanau County | 6 miles east | 662 | 1 | 9.5 | 1 |
| Garey Lake | 6 miles south | 29 | 1 | 9.9 | 0 |
| Little Traverse Lake | 7 miles northeast | 646 | 0 | 10.5 | 1 |
EGLE inland lake layer, MDNR access sites and Fish Atlas.
In the Glen Lake area
More Michigan lakes by Glen Lake
- Glen Lake, Little3 miles west
- Armstrong Lake, Leelanau County6 miles southeast
- Lime Lake, Leelanau County6 miles east
- Garey Lake6 miles south
- Little Traverse Lake7 miles northeast
Stores that outfit Glen Lake anglers
- Perfect Wheel Marine Prop Repairmarina, Lake Ann, 12 miles
- The Fish Hookbait and tackle shop, Leland, 15 miles
- Elmwood Township, 10090 E Lincoln Rdmarina, Traverse City, 16 miles
- Sportsman's Warehouse, 3500 Market Place Circle Drivebait and tackle shop, Traverse City, 16 miles
- Hawkins Outfittersbait and tackle shop, Traverse City, 17 miles
- Elmwood Township, 13051 S West Bay Shore Drmarina, Traverse City, 17 miles
Captains who run Glen Lake
- Fishwish Inccharter, Cedar, (231) 228-4746
- Hawg-Tide Sportfishing Charterscharter, Traverse City, (231) 218-2379
- Watta Bite Charter Fishingcharter, Glen Arbor, (231) 409-0963
- Watta Bite Charter Fishingcharter, Cedar, (231) 228-7417
Where to sleep for a trip to Glen Lake
- Glen Arbor2 miles
- Maple City5 miles
- Empire6 miles
Glen Lake county guides
- Leelanau Countyseat: Suttons Bay
Reels and a weigh-scale grip for Glen Lake
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
The shore near Glen Lake through a lens
Photo: NPS, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, CC BY-SA 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Asked and answered: fishing Glen Lake
Where in Michigan does Glen Lake lie?
Leelanau County, Central Lake Michigan Management Unit, about 2 miles from Glen Arbor is where it sits.
What is the surface area of Glen Lake in acres?
EGLE measures 4,875 acres.
Where is the ramp at Glen Lake?
No public launch is on file; see the nearby list.
Does Glen Lake hold bluegill and other panfish?
MDNR records list lake whitefish, cisco, lake trout, rainbow trout and trout.
What size limits cover Glen Lake?
Walleye (Lower Peninsula): 5; minimum 15 inches; season Last Sat. in April – March 15.
Does fishing Glen Lake call for a Michigan license?
Trout and salmon need no separate stamp in Michigan; the all-species license ($26 resident, $76 nonresident a year) covers them.
How many feet of visibility does Glen Lake have?
In 2023, about 25.2 feet.
Which Michigan bait counter is the shortest drive from Glen Lake?
Closest on our list: Perfect Wheel Marine Prop Repair at 12 miles.
How many fish went into Glen Lake recently?
Most recently in 2026: 15,100 lake trout and 20,684 rainbow trout.
What are the trout rules on Glen Lake?
Type E (type e non designated): Three (3) trout and Atlantic salmon, combined and zero (0) Arctic Grayling. Season january 1st to december 31st.
Spend a morning casting Glen Lake
Buy the all-species license before you leave home.