Greg Keefer.

Michigan is blessed with year-round fishing opportunities for everything from bluegills to salmon. Wherever you live, there’s a great fishing hole nearby, or if you wish to travel, you can take your pick of hotspots and enjoy the state’s best angling.

However, not all fishing holes are created equal. Many lakes and rivers are better than others and knowing where to go is the first step to having a great time on the water.

Here’s a look at where to go to get in on the action this year.

JANUARY
Northern Pike
Manistique Lakes Chain
One of the finest pike fisheries in the Upper Peninsula is the Manistique Lakes Chain that includes North Manistique, Big Manistique and South Manistique lakes.

A recent DNR survey netted 10 northern pike over 40 inches in a day, a feat that isn’t repeated often on any pike water. One of the northerns measured 49 1/2 inches.

Most pike are caught at Big Manistique, a 10,000-acre lake in one of the largest natural waterways in the Upper Peninsula.

Hotspots include three midlake submerged bars that anglers hit hard with excellent results.

The lakes are located in Luce and Mackinac counties. A state boat ramp is located on the south shore near Curtis Road and public ramps are on Route 1245 and on Long Road.

For more information, contact JR’s Sport Shop at (906) 586-6040.

FEBRUARY
Bluegills
Oakland Lake
Oakland Lake covers 255 acres in Waterford and Independence townships in central Oakland County.

The lake is an ice-angler’s dream. Shoreline structure provides cover for plenty of feisty bluegills and anglers often go home with a bucketful. The three main lake basins range to 25, 27 and 64 feet and are bordered by steep slopes that concentrate bluegills next to deeper water. There are several small bays on the lake that are less than 5 feet deep along with a few small islands.

Oakland Lake’s submerged vegetation, much of which survives the winter, holds bluegills along the weed edges.

The average size of the bluegills sampled during a recent DNR survey was nearly 7 inches in length.

Black crappies were the runners-up but not nearly as numerous. The average crappie measured an impressive 9 inches. For more information, call the DNR’s Lake Erie Management Unit at (734) 953-0241.

MARCH
Crappies
Stony Creek Reservoir
Stony Creek Reservoir, north of Rochester Hills in Macomb County, is a favorite springtime destination for many crappie anglers. The 497-acre lake is an impoundment of Stony Creek, a tributary of the Clinton River. At one point, a state-record papermouth came out of these waters.

Two fish attractors near the boat ramp provide excellent crappie cover. Average depths range from 5 to 15 feet in most of the lake, and then drop off to about 20 feet near the southern shore. Old logs and other woody structure are ideal spots to drop a line.

Stony Creek doesn’t have as much pressure as other area lakes. Crappie populations are cyclical but there always seem to be some nice fish there in the spring. For more information, contact the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority at (800) 477-2757.