South Bar Lake

Leelanau County, Michigan

South Bar Lake sits beside Lake Michigan near Empire in Leelanau County. It is a shallow lake with bass and perch.

Air temp Not available right now.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at South Bar Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area81 acres

Max depth13 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local rules

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Largemouth Bass●●●○○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Smallmouth Bass●●●○○

Rock, gravel and points. Tubes, jerkbaits and drop-shots.

Yellow Perch●●●○○

Schools on mud and sand flats. Great through the ice.

Boat launches

2 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Lake Michigan Beach ParkRamp
Empire village park with a boat launch and fishing dock on South Bar Lake. Small parking fee.Directions ↗
More public accessPublic
See the Michigan DNR or lake website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in South Bar Lake are published by the state. Look up the current size and creel limits for this lake directly: Michigan Department of Natural Resources ↗

Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

No shops listed yet for this lake. Use the search link below.

Search more bait shops near South Bar Lake ↗

Local tips

The lake is shallow, at most 13 feet, so weed edges hold fish.
The village park has a fishing dock if you have no boat.
Parking costs a small fee at the beach park.

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.

More Michigan lakes

Torch Lake (Antrim County) Lake Charlevoix Burt Lake Mullett Lake Lake Gogebic Manistique Lake Black Lake Crystal Lake All Michigan lakes →

Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.