Never fished that lake.. heck, never even heard of it and I'm from up that way. Sleeping bear in "North West" Michigan, is pretty close to some nice small local lakes that would be perfect for a John boat. Like Don said, check the local bait shops and also the website he forwarded.
Up towards Sleeping bear you have Lime Lake, Pearl Lake, and Lake Ann. There is also Platte lake, Grass Lake, and Upper Herring lake. All of those are within Benzie and Leelanau Counties. I don't know much about them, but it might be worth a little research before you head that way.
Don't be afraid to hit the canals and back bays in some of the bigger lakes up there either!
Good luck and have fun.
I have OCD "Obsessive Crappie Disorder"