Grand Traverse County · Michigan

Fife Lake

Soundings in feet · 606 acres · deepest 55 ft

Today on the lake

Updated 9 Oct 2026, 3:10 am EDT. Get alerts for Fife Lake

WEATHEROvernight: mostly clear, 39°F, wind SW 5 mph. Friday: sunny, 64°F, wind W 0 to 5 mph.

WARNINGSNo weather or fire warnings in effect.

FIRENo wildfires or prescribed burns reported within 25 miles.

BURNINGCampfires and debris burning: check today's status with Michigan DNR.

ALGAENo cyanobacteria detected by satellite on 5 Oct 2026, the latest clear-sky image.

National Weather Service; National Interagency Fire Center; U.S. EPA CyAN satellite; Michigan DHHS; Michigan DNR. Weather, warnings, fires and satellite refresh when you open the page (checked at most hourly).

Depth map

15 contours, 5 to 55 ft

05910141516202530354045495055feet

Michigan DNR survey, fetched 7 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.

Size and depth

606 acres · deepest 55 ft (measured) · shoreline about 4.6 mi · clarity about 13 ft

Fife Lake is the 6th largest of the 72 named lakes of 10 acres or more in Grand Traverse County. By Michigan DNR survey it is the 8th deepest of the 34 with a measured depth. Its water is clearer than 30 of the other 60 lakes in the county with satellite clarity readings. Its shoreline measures about 4.6 miles along the state outline. About 18% of its area is deeper than 25 ft.

Ranks against Grand Traverse County lakes in Michigan hydrography, Michigan DNR lake surveys and Michigan EGLE satellite clarity; shoreline measured from the state outline. How we measure

Fishing

Michigan DNR has stocked Fife Lake 25 times since 1980. The most recent stocking was 26,017 walleye on 4 June 2025. Species stocked: walleye.

25 stockings, 1980 to 2025, log scale

Latest: 4 Jun 2025: 26,017 walleye.

4 Jun 2025STOCKED26,017 walleye

6 Jun 2023STOCKED21,650 walleye

8 Jun 2021STOCKED18,444 walleye

1 Jun 2018STOCKED19,846 walleye

22 Jun 2016STOCKED41,837 walleye

4 May 2015STOCKED499,800 walleye

Source: Michigan DNR Fisheries, fetched 7 Oct 2026. How we measure

Where the deep water is

Show water deeper than

Measured from Michigan DNR contours. How we measure

Historically recorded species, from records through 1926: bluegill, bluntnose minnow, brown bullhead, common shiner, iowa darter, johnny darter, largemouth bass, northern longear sunfish, rock bass, smallmouth bass, spottail shiner, yellow perch. Historic records, not a current survey.

Michigan Fish Atlas.

Water quality

Average water clarity is about 13 ft (Secchi depth 3.9 m, satellite readings 2018–23).

Clarity 12.7 ft of 55 ft

Michigan EGLE satellite clarity, fetched 7 Oct 2026.

Email me about Fife LakeWhen it is stockedMichigan DNR has stocked Fife Lake 25 times since 1980, most recently 26,017 walleye on 4 June 2025. None so far in 2026.When algae is reported or testedMichigan DHHS has no records for this lake yet. We email when the first one is posted.When satellite sees a bloom startEPA satellite, checked daily, June to October. We email when a bloom first shows on two clear days, not every day it stays. It has not happened in 2026.Any lake in Grand Traverse CountyStockings and algae records on every lake in the county. In 2026 so far: 4 emails.

Fife Lake has had no stockings or algae records in 2026, so its own alerts would have sent nothing this year. The county alert is on by default.

Email address

At most one email a week per lake. We email you a link to confirm before any alert is sent; every email has a one-click unsubscribe.

Nearby lakes with measured depth

Pickerel Lake12 ft deep · 0.7 mi · Grand Traverse County

Spring Lake25 ft deep · 0.7 mi · Grand Traverse County

Long Lake20 ft deep · 2.5 mi · Kalkaska County

Breeds Lake6 ft deep · 5.8 mi · Kalkaska County

Ingersoll Lake22 ft deep · 5.9 mi · Kalkaska County

Jones Lake18 ft deep · 6.1 mi · Kalkaska County

Michigan DNR survey; straight-line miles.

Common questions

How deep is Fife Lake?

Fife Lake is 55 feet at its deepest point, measured by Michigan DNR survey. It covers 606 acres.

Is Fife Lake stocked with fish?

Yes. Michigan DNR has stocked it 25 times since 1980, most recently 26,017 walleye on 4 June 2025.

How much of Fife Lake is deeper than 10 feet?

About 53% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Michigan DNR depth contours.