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Fishing Bush Lake: what the data says
28-acre lake near Ogemaw County. The lake tops out around 35 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Bush Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 27 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 7 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Bush Lake
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 11 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 27 ft, rated prime for summer brown trout. Best bite is after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 11 to 35 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Chinook Salmon fishing at Bush Lake
Start shallow in spring: chinook salmon sit in 4 to 35 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 11 to 35 ft, and winter fish hold in 11 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 11 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 7 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Yellow Perch fishing at Bush Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Bush Lake
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Bush Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Bush Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. 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 | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bush Lake also holds largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 35 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 27 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 14 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bush Lake?
Bush Lake is about 35 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 Bush Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, common carp, chinook salmon, brown trout, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Bush 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 Bush Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bush Lake?
For rainbow trout, 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
Skidway Lake · Elbow Lake · Feeding Ground Lake · Mills Lake · Hewey Lake · Birch Lake
See how Bush Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best crappie 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.