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Fishing Barneys Lake: what the data says
74-acre lake near Charlevoix County. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Yellow Perch fishing at Barneys Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Barneys Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Rock Bass fishing at Barneys Lake
Spring rock bass on Barneys Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in summer. Best bite is the evening. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Bluegill fishing at Barneys Lake
Spring bluegill on Barneys Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Common Carp fishing at Barneys Lake
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 2 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Barneys Lake?
Barneys Lake is about 12 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Barneys Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, common carp, rock bass on Barneys Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Where is the best fishing spot on Barneys Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Barneys Lake?
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Fox Lake · Geneserath, Lake · Lake Michigan - Little Traverse Bay and the Beaver Islands · Millecoquins Lake · Milakokia Lake · Millaquaka Lake
See how Barneys Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan · best common carp lakes in Michigan
Browse all Michigan fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.