Reservoir

Tippy Dam Pond

Manistee County, Michigan

Tippy Dam Pond on the Manistee River is about 1,540 acres at full pool, with about 30 ft in the upper portion and about 50 ft in the main body near steep dropoffs. A 2011 DNR survey recorded 19 species.

Air temp Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Tippy Dam Pond (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area1,540 acres

Max depth50 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local rules

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Crappie●●●○○

Black crappie

Walleye●●●○○

Points, flats and reefs at low light. Jigs and live bait early, crankbaits and crawler harnesses in summer.

Smallmouth Bass●●●○○

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

Northern Pike●●○○○

Weed edges and bays. Spoons, spinnerbaits and tip-ups through the ice.

Channel Catfish●●○○○

Cut bait and nightcrawlers on flats and creek mouths in the evening.

Bluegill●●○○○

Weed beds and shallow flats in late spring.

Largemouth Bass●○○○○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Rainbow Trout●○○○○

Shorelines and inlets in cool months, deeper water in summer.

Yellow Perch●○○○○

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

Boat launches

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

Red BridgeRamp
US Forest Service launch on Coates Highway at the upper end.Directions ↗
Tippy Dam State Recreation AreaRamp
Michigan DNR launch north of Tippy Dam.Directions ↗
Pine River arm (Snyder Road)Ramp
Norman Township launch off Snyder Road.Directions ↗
More public accessPublic
See the state agency or lake website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Tippy Dam Pond 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 Tippy Dam Pond ↗

Local tips

Main body reaches about 50 ft with steep dropoffs - fish the edges for walleye and smallmouth.
The Pine River arm runs 30-40 ft deep.
Three public launches: upper end, near the dam, and the Pine River arm.

View on interactive map

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

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