Cat Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MI)

Lake depth chart

Cat Lake, MI

Max 26 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Target species

Species estimated from nearby surveyed lakes. No fish-species survey is on record for this water, so these species aren't a confirmed catch list. They're an informed estimate: the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the same region, kept only where they fit this lake's depth and habitat. Treat them as what's likely present. (The depth chart itself is real surveyed bathymetry.) How we estimate species →

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · colder nights and shortening days start the push in early September — shiners slide out of open water toward warmer shallows and run up the rivers; the Rainy River run off Lake of the Woods is the marquee version

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Next on this water

Fall frog migration · forageSep 25 – Nov 10 · in ~3 weeks

Spring crawfish emergence · forageApr 1 – Jun 15 · in ~7 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 15 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyJun 15 – Aug 15 · in ~10 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Cat Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Cat Lake on the board.

Fishing Cat Lake: what the data says

59-acre lake near Tuscola County. The lake tops out around 26 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

On the chart, Cat Lake draws 65 acres inside 1.3 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 44% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Tuscola County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Murphy Lake, 9 mi southwest of here.

Northern Pike fishing at Cat Lake

Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (15 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Back-bay flat (6 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Cat Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 26 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 26 ft. Top water on the chart: Secondary point, a point in the 9 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (6 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	8 to 26 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (15 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Secondary point (9 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	8 to 26 ft	midday	Break off the point (15 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Largemouth Bass fishing at Cat Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 8 to 26 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (15 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (6 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	8 to 26 ft	midday	Break off the point (15 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Rock Bass fishing at Cat Lake

Early season rock bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 5 to 20 ft game here, winter an 8 to 26 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 6 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is 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	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner
Summer	5 to 20 ft	dusk	Main-lake point (6 ft)	Ned rig (small), Marabou jig
Fall	8 to 22 ft	midday	Break off the point (15 ft)	Small tube jig, Inline spinner
Winter	8 to 26 ft	midday	Deep basin (25 ft)	Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike

Bluegill fishing at Cat Lake

In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Back-bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (25 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Pumpkinseed fishing at Cat Lake

Early season pumpkinseed use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 6 to 18 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 5 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 8 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 18 ft	dawn	Back-bay flat (6 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Cat Lake also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Cat Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 25 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
Secondary point: point, around 9 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft

Cat Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Cat Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Cat Lake?

Cat Lake is about 26 ft (8 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.

What fish are in Cat Lake?

Anglers target northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, common carp on Cat 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 Cat Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Cat Lake?

For northern pike, 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Cat Lake?

Fishing on Cat 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.

Nearby waters

Murphy Lake 9 mi · North Lake 11 mi · Otter Lake 13 mi · Millers Lake 14 mi · Holloway Reservoir 18 mi · West Lake 20 mi · Long Lake 20 mi · Skinner Lake 21 mi · Davis Lake 22 mi · Spear Lake 23 mi · Mott Lake 25 mi · Nepessing Lake 26 mi

See how Cat Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan

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.

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