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Rating depth structure for crappie.
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16-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 7 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 16 acres of water rimmed by 0.7 miles of bank. Its 1.1 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Figure 0.3 mi of water from one end to the other. The water lies in Vilas County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Murphy Lake, 1 mi southeast of here.
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 2 to 7 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 7 ft, winter 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 7 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 7 ft through summer, 2 to 7 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 6 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 7 ft, wintering in 2 to 7 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring pumpkinseed on Brown Beaver Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 7 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 7 ft in summer, 2 to 7 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The chart marks 4 structure features on Brown Beaver Lake; the deepest is Main-lake point at about 7 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Brown Beaver Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Brown Beaver Lake is about 7 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target yellow perch, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Brown Beaver Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Brown Beaver Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Murphy Lake 1 mi · Moraine Lake 1 mi, MI · Crawford Lake 1 mi · Cathaline Lake 1 mi · Minonk Lake 1 mi · Grant Lake 2 mi · Boot Lake 2 mi · Anne Lake 2 mi · Harris Lake 2 mi · Spread Lake 3 mi · Mink Lake 3 mi, MI · Presque Isle Lake 3 mi
See how Brown Beaver Lake stacks up: best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin · best pumpkinseed lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Vilas County fishing maps (507 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.