Lake Herring (Cisco) fishing
Coregonus artedi. Lower jaw extends to or slightly beyond the tip of the snout, an upturned, terminal mouth, unlike lake whitefish's smaller, set-back mouth.
Lake Herring (Cisco) fishing uses a Swedish Pimple or waxworms with a light ice-fishing jig rod. Cisco mostly persists through natural reproduction rather than routine hatchery stocking.
Published by Fishypedia · Sources last checked September 23, 2026
Drafted by AI from the cited sources and checked before publishing.
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Identification
- Lower jaw extends to or slightly beyond the tip of the snout, an upturned, terminal mouth, unlike lake whitefish's smaller, set-back mouth.
- Slender, silvery body with pink and purple iridescence, a deep blue-green back, and a white belly.
- Adults typically run 10 to 18 inches long and can live up to 10 years.
- Schools in open water (the midwater zone), often suspended off bottom, unlike the more bottom-oriented lake whitefish.
Sources: fws.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , dnr.wisconsin.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , dnr.state.mn.us, accessed September 23, 2026 , en.wikipedia.org, accessed September 23, 2026
Top lures
Jigged through the ice as an attractor above a fly or bait, per a Michigan cisco fishing report.
Same ice-jigging attractor role as the Swedish Pimple, worked above a fly or bait.
Suspended on a short dropper below the attractor spoon, the standard Michigan cisco ice rig.
Michigan's state-record cisco, 6.36 lbs from Lake Ottawa, was caught still-fishing a jig.
Top baits
Tipped on the fly or jig suspended below an attractor spoon through the ice, per a Michigan cisco fishing report.
Same suspended presentation below an attractor spoon, an alternate natural bait to waxworms.
Line & tackle
- Rod power
- Light ice-fishing jig rod, sensitive enough to detect light bites, per a Michigan cisco fishing report
Depth by season
Spring
Feeds on zooplankton suspended through the open-water column as the lake warms after ice-out, per USFWS.
Summer
Suspends deep in open water during summer thermal stratification, reaching maximum depths of 270 to 450 feet in the Great Lakes, per USFWS.
Fall · 3–10 ft
Spawns in shallow water 3 to 10 feet deep in fall and winter, per USFWS.
Sources: fws.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , en.wikipedia.org, accessed September 23, 2026 , woods-n-waternews.com, accessed September 23, 2026
Stocked behavior
Cisco mostly persists through natural reproduction rather than routine hatchery stocking. Since 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan DNR, and other Great Lakes Fishery Commission partners have run a joint fingerling stocking program to rebuild a self-sustaining, naturally spawning cisco population in Saginaw Bay, using broodstock from the lake's own remnant fish.
Sources: fws.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , en.wikipedia.org, accessed September 23, 2026
Common mistakes
- Fishing heavy line and large hooks; many anglers target cisco with light line and light terminal tackle.
- Fishing only on bottom; cisco spend much of their time suspended off the bottom, feeding on plankton.
- Ice fishing deep basin water only; under the ice cisco can be feeding relatively shallower, because inland lakes are not thermally stratified in winter.
Where it's stocked
No stocking events recorded for Lake Herring (Cisco) yet.
State records
| State | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 6.36 lbs. | – | Lake Ottawa, Iron County | 2017 |
| Minnesota | 5 lbs. 13 oz. | – | Sybil Lake, Otter Tail County | 2015 |
| Wisconsin | 4 lbs. 12.8 oz. | – | Chain O' Lakes, Waupaca County | 2023 |
Common questions
What lures work for Lake Herring (Cisco)?
Swedish Pimple, a spoon in silver and gold: Jigged through the ice as an attractor above a fly or bait, per a Michigan cisco fishing report. Acme Kastmaster, a spoon in silver: Same ice-jigging attractor role as the Swedish Pimple, worked above a fly or bait. Small fly, a fly: Suspended on a short dropper below the attractor spoon, the standard Michigan cisco ice rig. Jig, a jig: Michigan's state-record cisco, 6.36 lbs from Lake Ottawa, was caught still-fishing a jig.
What bait works for Lake Herring (Cisco)?
Waxworms: Tipped on the fly or jig suspended below an attractor spoon through the ice, per a Michigan cisco fishing report. Wigglers (mayfly larvae): Same suspended presentation below an attractor spoon, an alternate natural bait to waxworms.
Where do Lake Herring (Cisco) hold?
Spring: Feeds on zooplankton suspended through the open-water column as the lake warms after ice-out, per USFWS. Summer: Suspends deep in open water during summer thermal stratification, reaching maximum depths of 270 to 450 feet in the Great Lakes, per USFWS. Fall: 3 to 10 ft. Spawns in shallow water 3 to 10 feet deep in fall and winter, per USFWS. Winter: Ice anglers find schools relatively shallow once the lake is no longer thermally stratified, feeding actively under the ice.
How big do Lake Herring (Cisco) get?
The Michigan record is 6.36 lbs. from Lake Ottawa, Iron County in 2017. The Minnesota record is 5 lbs. 13 oz. from Sybil Lake, Otter Tail County in 2015. The Wisconsin record is 4 lbs. 12.8 oz. from Chain O' Lakes, Waupaca County in 2023.