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Torch Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A long, deep, low-nutrient lake in Antrim County's Chain of Lakes, managed by Michigan DNR as a Type E trout lake with a 50-inch muskellunge minimum.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~55 F est.
Air / High
63 / 63 F
Wind
S 5 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Torch Lake rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1026 hPa and a high of 63. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:16 AM-12:16 PM and 10:46 PM-12:46 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60Β°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Lake troutGood

Spring and fall bring lakers into 10 to 30 feet of water (Michigan DNR), within reach of casters and shallow trollers; fall is also spawning time over rocky shoals.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Yellow perchGood

Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

Chinook salmonSlow

Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

Tomorrow: Similar at 64 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Michigan requires a fishing licence from age 17, from $26.00 for residents. What a Michigan licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing lake trout here? Check the size and bag limits with DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Michigan, read off the agency, are on the Michigan seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp63 F
High / Low63 / 41 F
WindS 5-7 mph
Pressure1025.7 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain3% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset08:07 / 18:42
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Which day to fish Torch Lake this week

The best day on Torch Lake this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 2 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Tough

Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Solunar majors
10:16 AM-12:16 PM and 10:46 PM-12:46 AM
Minor period
4:38 AM-5:38 AM
Sun
08:07 to 18:42
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Showers, 7 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Torch Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Lake trout illustration

Lake trout

Spring and fall in shallow water, deep in summer, and through the ice in winter

Lake trout are slow-growing chars of large, deep, cold lakes, native from Alaska and northern Canada to New England and the Great Lakes, and introduced in many western lakes. Spring and fall bring lakers into 10 to 30 feet of water (Michigan DNR), within reach of casters and shallow trollers; fall is also spawning time over rocky shoals.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60Β°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Chinook salmon illustration

Chinook salmon

Seasons follow the runs: spring, summer and fall runs on the West Coast, and late summer into fall in Great Lakes rivers

The largest Pacific salmon, caught by trolling and mooching at sea and by drifting and plunking in rivers as adults return to spawn; also stocked in the Great Lakes. Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

When to come: the Torch Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lake trout
Smallmouth bass
Yellow perch
Muskellunge
Rainbow trout
Chinook salmon
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Torch Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 60 F, wind to 6 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Lake trout led the card at excellent. High of 66 F, wind to 6 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Lake trout led the card at excellent. High of 67 F, wind to 6 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Michigan requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Michigan fishing license. 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations: Torch Lake is a Type E trout lake, open all year, all tackle, 3 trout a day, 15-inch minimum for brook, brown and rainbow trout, splake and lake trout (10 inches for coho, chinook and pink salmon); muskellunge 50-inch minimum (Torch Lake and its tributaries). From May 1 to July 1 the Torch River from Crystal Beach Road to Lake Skegemog is limited to one single-pointed, unweighted hook of 1/2 inch or less.

Access

Michigan DNR runs the Torch River Bridge Boating Access Site at the mouth of the Torch River, on the lake's south end (enlarged in 2024 with two launch lanes and a carry-down launch), and lists the Eastport and Torch River boating access sites as other DNR launches serving the lake. A Recreation Passport is required at DNR sites.

About this water

An inland lake of about 18,500 acres (Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council) in Antrim County, Michigan, in the Elk River Chain of Lakes; Type E trout lake under Michigan DNR rules.

Fishing Torch Lake: the full guide

A cold, clear lake

Torch Lake lies in Antrim County, in the Elk River Chain of Lakes, and drains south through the Torch River to Lake Skegemog. The Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, a regional lake-protection group, gives it 18,473 acres and 41 miles of shoreline and puts its depth at about 300 feet, depending on the map; it calls Torch the state's second-largest inland lake by area and its longest. The council describes a wide, sandy shallow shelf along most of the shore that ends in a steep drop-off, sparse aquatic plants and water too low in nutrients to produce large numbers of fish.

The fish

The same council reports self-sustaining lake trout and whitefish, burbot in the deep-water community, and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and muskellunge as the species most often fished for. Michigan's 2026 Fishing Regulations classify Torch as a Type E trout lake, open all year to all tackle, and place it on the list of waters where muskellunge must be at least 50 inches to keep.

Before you keep a lake trout

In 2010 the Michigan Department of Community Health advised that nobody eat fillets from lake trout caught in Torch Lake because of elevated dioxin levels; earlier advice had covered only fish of 26 inches or more. Check the current MDHHS Eat Safe Fish guide for northwest Michigan before eating any fish from the lake.

Common questions

How many trout can I keep from Torch Lake?

Three a day under Michigan's Type E rules, with a 15-inch minimum for brook, brown and rainbow trout, splake and lake trout. The lake is open to trout fishing all year.

Is it safe to eat Torch Lake lake trout?

Michigan's health department advised in 2010 that nobody eat lake trout fillets from Torch Lake because of dioxins. Check the current Eat Safe Fish guide before keeping any fish to eat.

Where is the public boat launch?

Michigan DNR's Torch River Bridge Boating Access Site is at the mouth of the Torch River on the south end of the lake; DNR also names the Eastport and Torch River sites.

Is fishing good at Torch Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Grand Traverse Bay14 miLake Charlevoix19 miAu Sable River40 miPlatte River44 miHiggins Lake49 miBetsie River53 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 45.0300, -85.3200 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 6, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 6, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.