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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
82-acre lake near Chippewa County. The lake tops out around 5 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Drawn out, this is 70 acres of water rimmed by 1.8 miles of bank. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. The basin spans about 0.6 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Chippewa County. For a second option, Betchler Lake, Little lies 1 mi southeast.
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 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 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 1 to 5 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 5 ft covers summer, 2 to 5 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 1 to 5 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 5 ft through summer, 2 to 5 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 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 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season rock bass use the shallows, holding in 1 to 5 ft. Even in summer they hold at 1 to 5 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 5 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 2 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Early season pumpkinseed use the shallows, holding in 1 to 5 ft. Even in summer they hold at 1 to 5 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 5 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 1 to 5 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 5 ft, and they winter in 2 to 5 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for winter brown bullhead. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | dusk | Deep basin (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) |
Betchler Lakes carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 5 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 Betchler Lakes specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Betchler Lakes is about 5 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Betchler Lakes. 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.
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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Betchler Lakes 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.
Betchler Lake, Little 1 mi · Crego Lake 3 mi · Soldier Lake 4 mi · Williams Lake 6 mi · Bobbygay Lake 6 mi · Mud Lake 8 mi · McNearney Lake 9 mi · Frenchman Lake 9 mi · Piatt Lake 9 mi · Trout Lake 10 mi · Pendills Lake 12 mi · East Lake 13 mi
See how Betchler Lakes stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan · best rock bass lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Chippewa County fishing maps (18 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.