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Fishing Bartholomew, Lake: what the data says
96-acre lake near Branch County. The lake tops out around 56 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Bartholomew, Lake
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 17 to 56 ft in summer and finish the year down in 17 to 56 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 56 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 17 to 56 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 17 to 56 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Yellow Perch fishing at Bartholomew, Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. 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 | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Bartholomew, Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Bartholomew, Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at Bartholomew, Lake
Start shallow in spring: rock bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for summer rock bass. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Crappie fishing at Bartholomew, Lake
Spring crappie on Bartholomew, Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Bartholomew, Lake
Spring bluegill on Bartholomew, Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Bartholomew, Lake also holds brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 56 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 48 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 15 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 15 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bartholomew, Lake?
Bartholomew, Lake is about 56 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 Bartholomew, Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), brown bullhead on Bartholomew, Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bartholomew, Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 56 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bartholomew, Lake?
For cisco (lake herring), 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
Marble Lake · East Long Lake · Coldwater Lake · Lake of The Woods · Silver Lake · South Lake
See how Bartholomew, Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch 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.