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Glen Lake 6.9 mi
Photo: Jamesdisher, CC BY-SA 3.0 
Lake Michigan 19 mi
Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0 
Platte River 19 mi
Photo: NPS, Public domain 
Grand Traverse County 17 mi
Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, CC BY-SA 2.0
Michigan inland lakes
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Little Traverse Lake Fishing
A 646-acre Michigan lake in Leelanau County.
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Leelanau County
Little Traverse Lake for visiting anglers
EGLE mapping gives Little Traverse Lake 646 acres of surface water inside Leelanau County. Base a trip in Maple City, about 5 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 cisco, per MDNR records. In 2023, July to September imagery gave roughly 10.5 feet of clarity.
646acres
0public launches
10.5 ftsatellite clarity
1fish on record
Fish
Fish recorded in Little Traverse Lake
Chips below show what the MDNR has documented in Little Traverse Lake.
MDNR Fish Atlas records from Little Traverse Lake
| Species | Atlas records | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Lake herring | 1 | 1970 |
MDNR Fish Atlas and Family Friendly Fishing lists, MDNR stocking table, checked October 2026. Older collections are history, not a current survey.
Launches
Getting a boat onto Little Traverse Lake
MDNR data place no public launch on Little Traverse Lake; the closest mapped launches follow.
Other public launches near Little Traverse Lake
- Lime Lake Boat Access near Maple CityLime Lake, 2 miles south
- Lake Leelanau West Boat AccessLake Leelanau, 6 miles east
- The Narrows Boat AccessLake Leelanau, 8 miles northeast
- Lake Leelanau East Boat AccessLake Leelanau, 8 miles southeast
- Carp River Boat AccessCarp River, 8 miles northeast
- Glen Lake Boat AccessGlen Lake, 9 miles southwest
MDNR Parks and Recreation boat access sites and MDNR fishing sites, checked October 2026.
Clarity
Satellite clarity readings for Little Traverse Lake
Clarity at Little Traverse Lake is estimated from summer Landsat scenes by EGLE.
EGLE put 2023 chlorophyll a at 2.85 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.
Regulations
Size and bag limits on Little Traverse 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 in unclassified lakes | 5, no more than 3 of which may be 15 inches or greater; minimum 8 inches | Open all year |
For Little Traverse 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.
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Lakes around Little Traverse Lake side by side
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Clarity ft | Fish listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Traverse Lake | 646 | 0 | 10.5 | 1 | |
| Lime Lake, Leelanau County | 2 miles south | 662 | 1 | 9.5 | 1 |
| Lake Leelanau | 7 miles east | 5,698 | 3 | 11.1 | 2 |
| Glen Lake | 7 miles southwest | 4,875 | 0 | 25.2 | 2 |
| Leelanau, Lake North | 8 miles northeast | 2,917 | 2 | 13.6 | 0 |
| Glen Lake, Little | 10 miles southwest | 1,416 | 1 | 8.9 | 0 |
EGLE inland lake layer, MDNR access sites and Fish Atlas.
Nearby
In the Little Traverse Lake area
More Michigan lakes by Little Traverse Lake
- Lime Lake, Leelanau County2 miles south
- Lake Leelanau7 miles east
- Glen Lake7 miles southwest
- Leelanau, Lake North8 miles northeast
- Glen Lake, Little10 miles southwest
Stores that outfit Little Traverse Lake anglers
- The Fish Hookbait and tackle shop, Leland, 8 miles
- Elmwood Township, 10090 E Lincoln Rdmarina, Traverse City, 13 miles
- Sportsman's Warehouse, 3500 Market Place Circle Drivebait and tackle shop, Traverse City, 14 miles
- Perfect Wheel Marine Prop Repairmarina, Lake Ann, 14 miles
- Elmwood Township, 13051 S West Bay Shore Drmarina, Traverse City, 14 miles
- Hawkins Outfittersbait and tackle shop, Traverse City, 14 miles
Captains who run Little Traverse Lake
- Fishtown Charter Servicecharter, Leland, (231) 256-9639
- Mariah and Pier Pressure Charter Fishingcharter, Leland, (231) 883-2146
- Watta Bite Charter Fishingcharter, Cedar, (231) 228-7417
- Watta Bite Charter Fishingcharter, Glen Arbor, (231) 409-0963
Where to sleep for a trip to Little Traverse Lake
- Maple City5 miles
- Cedar6 miles
- Glen Arbor7 miles
Little Traverse Lake county guides
- Leelanau Countyseat: Suttons Bay
Piscifun
Reels and a weigh-scale grip for Little Traverse Lake
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Photographs
The shore near Little Traverse Lake through a lens
Photo: Jamesdisher, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
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Photo: NPS, Public domain
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Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Answers
Asked and answered: fishing Little Traverse Lake
Where in Michigan does Little Traverse Lake lie?
Leelanau County, Central Lake Michigan Management Unit, about 5 miles from Maple City is where it sits.
What is the surface area of Little Traverse Lake in acres?
EGLE measures 646 acres.
Where is the ramp at Little Traverse Lake?
No public launch is on file; see the nearby list.
Does Little Traverse Lake hold bluegill and other panfish?
MDNR records list cisco.
What size limits cover Little Traverse Lake?
Walleye (Lower Peninsula): 5; minimum 15 inches; season Last Sat. in April – March 15.
Does fishing Little Traverse Lake call for a Michigan license?
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.
How many feet of visibility does Little Traverse Lake have?
In 2023, about 10.5 feet.
Which Michigan bait counter is the shortest drive from Little Traverse Lake?
Closest on our list: The Fish Hook at 8 miles.
Spend a morning casting Little Traverse Lake
Buy the all-species license before you leave home.