Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Bass Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Bass Lake: what the data says
430-acre lake near Grand Traverse County. The lake tops out around 29 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.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Bass Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| 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 | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Bass Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 9 to 29 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 9 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Bass Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 |
Crappie fishing at Bass Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 29 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 27 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. 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 | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Bass Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 9 to 29 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 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. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 27 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bass Lake?
Bass Lake is about 29 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 Bass Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Bass Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bass Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bass Lake?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Silver Lake · Long Lake · Duck Lake · Cedar Hedge Lake · Green Lake · Boardman Lake
See how Bass Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan · best bluegill 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.