Lake St. Helen Fishing
A 2,418-acre Michigan lake in Roscommon County.
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An overview of Lake St. Helen
At 2,418 acres, Lake St. Helen ranks as a lake of Roscommon County. St. Helen sits about 2 miles from the water. Fisheries work here falls to the MDNR Central Lake Michigan Management Unit, on the Lower Peninsula. Set in the Northern Lakes and Forests ecoregion, it feeds the Northwestern Lake Huron basin.
Fish on file for it include crappie, northern pike, smallmouth bass, sunfish, walleye and black crappie. 1 public launch put boats on the water. Water clarity ran about 7.3 feet in 2023, from satellite data. Families will find it on the MDNR Family Friendly Fishing map.
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Fish documented by the MDNR at Lake St. Helen, linked where Michigan has a species page.
Collection counts for Lake St. Helen
| Species | Atlas records | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Bowfin | 1 | 1924 |
MDNR Fish Atlas and Family Friendly Fishing lists, MDNR stocking table, checked October 2026. Older collections are history, not a current survey.
Boat access to Lake St. Helen
- Lake St. Helen Boat Access3 lanes, 79 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet; Lease – Richfield Township
Walk-up spots on Lake St. Helen
- Lake St. Helen fishing site, Richfield Townshipfishing pier, Dawn until Dusk, pier
Boat access sites near Lake St. Helen
- Clear Lake Boat Access near Rose CityClear Lake, 8 miles east
- Horseshoe Lake Boat Access near Rose CityHorseshoe Lake, 9 miles northeast
- Ambrose Lake State Forest Campground Boat AccessAmbrose Lake, 9 miles east
- Houghton Lake East Boat AccessHoughton Lake, 11 miles west
MDNR Parks and Recreation boat access sites and MDNR fishing sites, checked October 2026.
Lake St. Helen Secchi depth by year
Bars show the summer satellite clarity of Lake St. Helen, year by year.
For 2023, chlorophyll a came to 7.59 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.
Level gauge at Lake St. Helen
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Lake St Helen At St Helen, Mi | 6.22 ft gage height, 1,154.85 ft lake elevation | Oct 24 5:30 am |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Oct 24, 2026 6:35 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
The regulations that cover Lake St. Helen
| 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 in unclassified lakes | 5, no more than 3 of which may be 15 inches or greater; minimum 8 inches | Open all year |
Statewide inland rules for the Lower Peninsula govern Lake St. Helen.
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), statewide tables and county exceptions, checked October 2026.
Stocking events at Lake St. Helen
Lake St. Helen took 177,036 fish over 6 plants from 2024 through 2025, led by walleye.
| Date | Species | Strain | Avg length | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 11, 2025 | Walleye | Muskegon | 3.8 in | 115,661 |
| June 18, 2025 | Walleye | Muskegon | 5.1 in | 56,010 |
| November 21, 2024 | Black crappie | 12.7 in | 1,500 | |
| November 21, 2024 | Bluegill | 12.7 in | 1,055 | |
| November 21, 2024 | Walleye | 15.2 in | 1,500 | |
| November 21, 2024 | Yellow Perch | 15.2 in | 1,310 |
MDNR Fish Stocking Report table, January 2024 to October 2026. Michigan stocking.
A comparison table for Lake St. Helen
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Clarity ft | Fish listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake St. Helen | 2,418 | 1 | 7.3 | 8 | |
| Clear Lake near Rose City, Ogemaw County | 8 miles east | 204 | 1 | 9.5 | 0 |
| Horseshoe Lake, Ogemaw County | 8 miles northeast | 36 | 1 | 7.1 | 0 |
| Ambrose Lake | 9 miles east | 40 | 1 | 6.8 | 0 |
| Marl Lake near Roscommon, Roscommon County | 12 miles west | 238 | 1 | 1.4 | 0 |
| Tee Lake, Ogemaw County | 12 miles south | 42 | 1 | 9.7 | 0 |
EGLE inland lake layer, MDNR access sites and Fish Atlas.
Places around Lake St. Helen
Other lakes a short drive from Lake St. Helen
- Clear Lake near Rose City, Ogemaw County8 miles east
- Horseshoe Lake, Ogemaw County8 miles northeast
- Ambrose Lake9 miles east
- Marl Lake near Roscommon, Roscommon County12 miles west
- Tee Lake, Ogemaw County12 miles south
Bait and tackle counters by Lake St. Helen
- Lapham's Marinamarina, Houghton Lake, 12 miles
- Macon Marine Centermarina, Prudenville, 12 miles
- Pioneer Hills Marinemarina, Roscommon, 14 miles
- Reed Marinemarina, Gladwin, 16 miles
- Heights Marinamarina, Houghton Lake, 17 miles
- Lyman's on the Lake Resortbait and tackle shop, Houghton Lake, 17 miles
Michigan towns a short drive from Lake St. Helen
- St. Helen2 miles
- Roscommon11 miles
- West Branch12 miles
Lake St. Helen, county by county
- Roscommon Countyseat: Roscommon
What Piscifun sells for Lake St. Helen anglers
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Water around Lake St. Helen as the camera saw it
Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
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Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
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Photo: Mtn-graphic, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fishing Lake St. Helen: quick answers
Where would I find Lake St. Helen on a Michigan map?
Look in Roscommon County, Central Lake Michigan Management Unit, about 2 miles from St. Helen.
How big is Lake St. Helen on the state lake layer?
Roughly 2,418 acres.
Which ramp should a trailer use on Lake St. Helen?
Start at Lake St. Helen Boat Access, one of 1 public launch.
What fish live in Lake St. Helen?
On file: crappie, northern pike, smallmouth bass, sunfish, walleye, black crappie and bluegill.
Does the digest list special rules for Lake St. Helen?
Walleye (Lower Peninsula): 5; minimum 15 inches; season Last Sat. in April – March 15.
Does Michigan sell a trout stamp for Lake St. Helen?
Anglers 17 and older carry a Michigan all-species fishing license: $26 a year for residents, $76 for nonresidents, $11 for seniors or $10 for one day.
What does satellite data say about Lake St. Helen clarity?
Close to 7.3 feet in 2023.
Who has minnows on the drive to Lake St. Helen?
Drive about 12 miles to Lapham's Marina.
What has the MDNR planted in Lake St. Helen?
2025 plants: 115,661 walleye and 56,010 walleye.
Circle Lake St. Helen on the calendar
Read the posted rules before keeping fish.