Topwater Popper Fishing on Torch Lake
Torch Lake · Michigan · Midwest
Torch Lake stretches roughly 19 miles through the northern Lower Peninsula, making it the longest inland lake in Michigan and one of the clearest in the entire Great Lakes region. The fishery is dominated by smallmouth bass holding on gravel and cobble shoals, submerged points, and hard-bottom transitions that drop quickly into 100-plus feet of water. Largemouth are present but sparse, concentrated in the shallower northern and southern bays where any available weedy cover exists.
A floating hard bait with a concave face that produces a spitting, popping action when twitched. Most effective in low-light conditions near cover — points, dock edges, weed lines, and grass pockets. The pause after the pop is where most strikes happen. Few experiences in fishing match watching a largemouth explode on a popper.
Topwater Popper Setup for Torch Lake
| Rod | 6'10"–7'3" medium casting rod, moderate action |
| Reel | 6.4:1 baitcaster or spinning |
| Line | 14–17 lb fluorocarbon or 30 lb braid (braid gives better action and hooksets) |
| Weight | 1/4–1/2 oz (Rebel Pop-R, Megabass Pop-X, Strike King KVD Splash) |
Seasonal Tactics on Torch Lake
Lake: Smallmouth stage on gravel shoals and rocky points in 8–18 ft as water temperatures climb through the 50s; pre-spawn fish are aggressive and stack on the same transitional structure year after year, particularly on the lake's eastern shoreline points. Tube jigs and drop shots fished slowly over clean bottom account for most fish before the mid-May spawn push.
Topwater Popper: First light on spawning flats — fish hold shallow and crush surface baits. Slow cadence with long pauses.
Lake: Post-spawn fish scatter to deeper hard-bottom structure and submerged points in 20–35 ft, suspending near the thermocline when surface temps crest 75°F in the shallows. Tube drags and football jigs on main-lake shoals produce, but mid-summer topwater action at dawn over shallow rocky flats can be exceptional before boat traffic builds.
Topwater Popper: 30-minute window at dawn and dusk. Fish dock shade and grass pockets. Noon topwater dies.
Lake: Cooling water pulls smallmouth back shallow through September and October, with fish actively chasing emerald shiners and perch fry on windward gravel points in 6–15 ft. Swimbaits and crankbaits covering water efficiently outproduce finesse rigs as the bite windows tighten toward mid-October.
Topwater Popper: Extended feeding window as water cools. Fish can be caught on top all day in fall.
Lake: Ice fishing for smallmouth is practiced in colder years when Torch Lake freezes sufficiently, though its size and depth mean reliable ice is inconsistent. Open-water anglers targeting late-November fish find them consolidated on the deepest accessible hard-bottom transitions, often in 40–55 ft, slow-dragging blade baits and finesse jigs.
Topwater Popper: Generally ineffective in water below 55°F — bass won't chase topwater in cold conditions.
Best Conditions
Dawn and dusk year-round, overcast days, calm to light-chop surface, spring through fall near cover and grass edges
Don't set the hook on the explosion — wait until you feel the fish pull the line. Half of all missed popper strikes are from anglers jerking too early.
More Techniques for Torch Lake
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