Magician Lake Fishing
A 522-acre Michigan lake in Cass County.
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Magician Lake for visiting anglers
EGLE mapping gives Magician Lake 522 acres of surface water inside Cass County. Base a trip in Dowagiac, about 6 miles from the lake. MDNR biologists of the Southern Lake Michigan unit cover it (Lower Peninsula). EPA ecoregion: Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains. Watershed: Southeastern Lake Michigan.
Anglers can expect black bullhead and walleye, per MDNR records. Boaters reach it through 1 public launch. In 2023, July to September imagery gave roughly 8.4 feet of clarity.
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Chips below show what the MDNR has documented in Magician Lake.
MDNR Fish Atlas records from Magician Lake
| Species | Atlas records | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Golden shiner | 2 | 1916 |
| Common shiner | 1 | 1916 |
MDNR Fish Atlas and Family Friendly Fishing lists, MDNR stocking table, checked October 2026. Older collections are history, not a current survey.
Getting a boat onto Magician Lake
- Magician Lake Boat Access1 lane, 10 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Recreation Passport; Cassopolis Field Office
Other public launches near Magician Lake
- Round Lake Boat Access near WatervlietRound Lake, 3 miles northwest
- Black Lake Boat AccessBlack Lake, 6 miles west
- Peavine Street Boat AccessDowagiac River, 8 miles south
- Lake Of The Woods Boat Access near DecaturLake of the Woods, 9 miles east
- Shafer Lake Boat AccessShafer Lake, 9 miles north
- Hall Lake Boat Access near LawrenceHall Lake, 11 miles north
MDNR Parks and Recreation boat access sites and MDNR fishing sites, checked October 2026.
Satellite clarity readings for Magician Lake
Clarity at Magician Lake is estimated from summer Landsat scenes by EGLE.
EGLE put 2023 chlorophyll a at 5.64 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 Magician 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 Magician 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 Magician Lake
The MDNR stocking table logs 1 plants in Magician Lake from 2025 to 2025, 2,773 fish in all, mostly walleye.
| Date | Species | Strain | Avg length | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 28, 2025 | Walleye | Muskegon | 13.1 in | 2,773 |
MDNR Fish Stocking Report table, January 2024 to October 2026. Michigan stocking.
State records caught in Magician Lake
| Species | Weight lb | Length in | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 3.44 | 17 | 1999 |
MDNR State Record Fish table (year only; no angler names printed). All Michigan records.
Event dates for Magician Lake
Dates and winners for Magician Lake are on its tournament page.
Lakes around Magician Lake side by side
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Clarity ft | Fish listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magician Lake | 522 | 1 | 8.4 | 2 | |
| Dewey Lake, Cass County | 1 mile southwest | 226 | 0 | 10.9 | 0 |
| Round Lake near Watervliet, Van Buren County | 3 miles northwest | 205 | 1 | 12.7 | 0 |
| Black Lake, Berrien County | 6 miles west | 25 | 1 | 4.3 | 0 |
| Mill Pond, Cass County | 7 miles southeast | 120 | 1 | 7.9 | 0 |
| Shafer Lake | 9 miles north | 72 | 1 | 15.8 | 0 |
EGLE inland lake layer, MDNR access sites and Fish Atlas.
In the Magician Lake area
More Michigan lakes by Magician Lake
- Dewey Lake, Cass County1 mile southwest
- Round Lake near Watervliet, Van Buren County3 miles northwest
- Black Lake, Berrien County6 miles west
- Mill Pond, Cass County7 miles southeast
- Shafer Lake9 miles north
Stores that outfit Magician Lake anglers
- Midway Watersports Inc Of Sister Lakesmarina, Dowagiac, 1 mile
- Clear Water Marinamarina, Dowagiac, 1 mile
- The Lakes Marinamarina, Dowagiac, 1 mile
- Lake Effect Power Sportsmarina, Benton Harbor, 3 miles
- Guntle's Outdoor Outfittersbait and tackle shop, Dowagiac, 6 miles
- Jd's Marinemarina, Watervliet, 6 miles
Captains who run Magician Lake
- Fish Stalker Charterscharter, Saint Joseph, (269) 425-8651
- Golden Eye Charterscharter, Berrien Center, (269) 471-7162
- Line Dancer Sportfishingcharter, Benton Harbor, (734) 216-9021
- Silver King Sportfishing Chartercharter, Saint Joseph, (269) 983-7816
Where to sleep for a trip to Magician Lake
- Dowagiac6 miles
- Eau Claire9 miles
- Hartford10 miles
Magician Lake county guides
- Cass Countyseat: Cassopolis
Reels and a weigh-scale grip for Magician Lake
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The shore near Magician Lake through a lens
Photo: Paul Sableman from St. Louis, MO, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The original uploader was Triphook at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Asked and answered: fishing Magician Lake
Where in Michigan does Magician Lake lie?
Cass County, Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit, about 6 miles from Dowagiac is where it sits.
What is the surface area of Magician Lake in acres?
EGLE measures 522 acres.
Where is the ramp at Magician Lake?
1 public launch, including Magician Lake Boat Access.
Does Magician Lake hold bluegill and other panfish?
MDNR records list black bullhead and walleye.
What size limits cover Magician Lake?
Walleye (Lower Peninsula): 5; minimum 15 inches; season Last Sat. in April – March 15.
Does fishing Magician 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 Magician Lake have?
In 2023, about 8.4 feet.
Which Michigan bait counter is the shortest drive from Magician Lake?
Closest on our list: Midway Watersports Inc Of Sister Lakes at 1 mile.
How many fish went into Magician Lake recently?
Most recently in 2025: 2,773 walleye.
Spend a morning casting Magician Lake
Buy the all-species license before you leave home.