Abstract–The Michigan Department of Conservation is actively promoting sport fishing in the Great Lakes. Although the bays and connecting waters of the Great Lakes have been heavily fished, we have not had reliable information on this sport fishery-on amount of fishing, kinds of fish, and angling quality. A creel census during 1965 produced such information for Little Bay de Noc in Lake Michigan. The census was made on that part (9 square miles) of Little Bay de Noc that is north of Gladstone; south of Gladstone little fishing is done. A stratified random creel census was used to estimate total angling effort and catch. Instantaneous angler counts were made to compute total hours of fishing, and anglers were interviewed to determine catch per hour. The product of total hours fished times the catch per hour gave the estimated total catch. The census was divided into two major periods: ice-fishing and open-water fishing. The basic sampling unit was the "car group" during the ice-fishing season, and the "boat group" during the open-water season. Further subdivisions were made in each major period, so sampling could be adjusted in proportion to fishing pressure. During the ice-fishing season, anglers fished 29,322 hours and caught 27,248 yellow perch and 64 northern pike. During the open-water season, anglers fished 16,785 hours and caught 16,828 yellow perch, 2,896 bullheads, 2,088 rock bass, 503 pumpkinseeds, 416 northern pike and 312 smallmouth bass. Few walleyes were caught in 1965, although they were formerly abundant in the anglers' catch from this bay. Most winter anglers were local residents (Delta County), whereas only one-half of the open-water anglers were from Delta County. The catch per hour of all species combined was 1.1. The weight of the estimated catch was 13,000 pounds, or about 2 pounds per acre. The Michigan Department of Conservation is promoting sport fishing in the Great Lakes. Although some bays and connecting waters have been heavily fished, we have not had reliable information on this sport fishery-on amount of fishing, kinds of fish, and angling quality A creel census in 1965 produced such information for Little Bay de Noc in Lake Michigan. This bay was selected for study because it was fished quite intensively, contained a variety of fish, and yet was small enough to be censused effectively. The census area encompassed that part of Little Bay de Noc lying north of Saunders and Hunters points (Fig. 1). The lower ½-mile of the estuary of the Whitefish River was included. The censused area represents only about one-fifth of Little Bay de Noc. However, according to the district fisheries supervisor, the censused area has about 90% of the angling in the entire bay. The census area has been closed to commercial fishing since 1929. It is 9 square miles in area, of which 4 square miles are less than 12 feet deep. Maximum depth is 51 feet. The bottom is predominantly sand, with some rock and rubble along the north and west shores and silt in deep water. The Whitefish, Rapid, and Tacoosh rivers enter at the north end of the bay, the Days River on the west side, and a small creek on the east side. Base flow of the Whitefish River was 50 cfs; the other streams ranged from 0.4 to 4. 6 cfs. Angling was principally for yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Other fish caught, in the order of their frequency in the catch, were brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus), rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris),pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), northern pike (Esox lucius), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), and black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus). The only species protected by closed seasons were walleye and northern pike during April 1-May 20 and smallmouth bass during January 1-May 31.