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Fishing Bela Lake: what the data says
68-acre lake near Iron County. The lake tops out around 8 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.
Yellow Perch fishing at Bela Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Bela Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Bela Lake
Spring bluegill on Bela Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 8 ft, and by winter most fish are in 2 to 8 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Bela Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter brown bullhead. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bela Lake?
Bela Lake is about 8 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 Bela Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, brown bullhead on Bela 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 Bela Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 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 Bela 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
McPherson Lake · Robinson Lake · Paw Lake · Lewis Lake · Mitigwaki, Lake · Curry Lake
See how Bela Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan · best brown bullhead 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.