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485-acre lake near Mason County. The lake tops out around 4 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Drawn out, this is 436 acres of water rimmed by 4.2 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.6 mi with a 0.9-mi widest point. The water lies in Mason County. For a second option, Pere Marquette Lake lies 8 mi north.
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 1 to 4 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 4 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 4 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 1 to 4 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 4 ft, and they winter in 1 to 4 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for fall muskellunge. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 4 ft covers summer, 1 to 4 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 1 to 4 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 4 ft through summer, 1 to 4 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 4 ft covers summer, 1 to 4 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 4 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 4 ft, and they winter in 1 to 4 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Bass Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 4 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Bass Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Bass Lake is about 4 ft (1 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target yellow perch, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Bass Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
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.
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.
Fishing on Bass Lake is regulated by the Michigan DNR. Check the official Michigan regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Pere Marquette Lake 8 mi · Wyckoff Lake 9 mi · Hart Lake 9 mi · Eden Lake 9 mi · Hackert Lake 11 mi · Bartons Lake 12 mi · Silver Lake (Dunes) 12 mi · Crystal Lake 12 mi · Hamlin Lake 15 mi · Black Lake 16 mi · School Section Lake 16 mi · Lake Michigan - Michigan Central Shore 18 mi
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
More water nearby: Mason County fishing maps (13 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.