Often associated with deep water, where they are targeted on or near bottom with spawn, minnows, wigglers, swimming jigs or spoons both during open water and through the ice, whitefish move up onto shoals or into rivers to spawn., They provide a popular pier fishery in some locations for anglers using spawn or wax worms. Fly fishermen can take them in flowing water with nymphs and on the surface during heavy fly hatches. Because of its papery mouth, however, many anglers lose whitefish before they can bring them to the net.

Inland whitefish are most commonly associated with deep, clear-water lakes. Generally, those lakes with lake trout populations will also support whitefish. Noted white fish hot spots include Grand Traverse Bay, Munising Harbor, the pier at Grand Marais and Higgins Lake.

Lake Herring, also known as northern cisco, are related to whitefish, but smaller. An open-water species that is distributed throughout the cold waters of the Great Lakes, herring occupy the same ecological niche as alewives and there numbers were suppressed until recently as alewife populations have fallenThe most significant Great Lakes fishery occurs in the St. Marys River, where the fish migrate to feed in the summer.. Although they are largely taken with bait by recreational anglers, herring will come up and hit a fly on the surface and they produce a fun fishing experience for in-the-know anglers during large fly hatches.