Best Fishing Spots near Thompsonville, MI

Fishing is a Michigan tradition. Known as the Great Lake State, it's hard not to stumble upon a brook or lake that works as a fishing hole. If you are staying in Mountain Valley Lodge, you are luckily in the middle of some of the most popular fishing spots in the entire state. This can be your one-stop shop for all fishing information you'll need on your Michigan vacation.

Where can I buy a Michigan fishing license?

You can buy a Michigan Fishing license online at the Department of Natural Resources website. Those 17 and older must have a Michigan fishing license in order to go fishing. If you are younger than 17, you can fish without a license but need to follow all rules and regulations.

How much does a Michigan fishing license cost?
Annual All Species Michigan Resident: $26
Annual All Species Nonresident: $76
Daily All Species Resident/Nonresident: $10/day

Tagging Your Fish
There used to be a lake sturgeon permit and harvest tag, but they aren't required. You do need to register that you harvested a sturgeon the day you caught it. Do that here.

What fish can you catch in Michigan?

Atlantic Salmon / Chinook Salmon / Pink Salmon / Coho Salmon
Bass / White Bass
Brook Trout / Brown Trout / Lake Trout / Rainbow Trout
Common Carp and Suckers
Catfish and Bullheads
Crappie
Muskellunge
Northern Pike
Smelt
Sturgeon
Sunfish
Walleye
Whitefish and Herring
Yellow Perch

Best Places to Fish

Betsie Lake

21 minutes away

How big is Betsie Lake? Betsie Lake is 289 acres.

How deep is Betsie Lake? 34 feet.

Lying on the west coast of Michigan, Betsie River and Betsie Lake are excellent places to start your fishing adventure.

Where do you gain access to the lake? Homestead Dam is the most popular access point because of the number of fish there. Other access points are along River Road and Grace Road.

Bear Lake

20 minutes away

How big is Bear Lake, Michigan? 203 acres.

How deep is Bear Lake, Michigan? 60 feet.

Bear Lake is yet another great place to fish. It's a modestly-sized lake near a tiny town, but this town has food, stores and other resources you may want to take advantage of before you get on the water.

Glen Lake

37 minutes away

How big is Glen Lake? 1,415 acres.

How deep is Glen Lake? 131 feet.

This lake is a little further away, but the view and fishing is worth it! There are plenty of restaurants if you want to grab a bite to eat before you go lake fishing. You are close to Sleeping Bear Dunes, which can be another fun stop.

Green Lake

31 minutes away

How big is Green Lake in Michigan? 7.920 acres.

How deep is Green Lake in Michigan? 102 feet.

Interlochen State Park may be far away, but it has two amazing lakes to fish from. Green Lake and Duck Lake are decent-sized and set apart completely from towns. If you want to be immersed in nature, this is the place to do it.

Crystal Lake

16 minutes away

How big is Crystal Lake in Michigan? 9,854 acres.

How deep is Crystal Lake in Michigan? 164 feet.

This is the grandest lake that is stuck within the borders of Michigan. If you want the chance to fish off a massive lake but don't want to go too big, this is the place to be. You can stop at the local Five Shores Brewery or go golfing after you have finished your time out on the lake.

Lake Michigan

16-50 minutes (depending on the charter you want to use)

You can't talk about Michigan Lakes without talking about Lake Michigan itself!

While you can fish off the beach shores, there is nothing more incredible than a Michigan Fishing Charter. You can catch the biggest fish in the biggest lake in the country. Head to Frankfort Michigan or Traverse City to claim a spot on a charter.