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242-acre lake near Marquette County. The lake tops out around 53 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, Chief Lake draws 276 acres inside 3.5 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 52% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 1 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Marquette County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Squaw Lake, 1 mi southeast of here.
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 30 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is 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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (30 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 30 ft range, prime in winter. 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 | Secondary point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (30 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (29 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
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 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. 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 (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) 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 (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (30 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | open water | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
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 1 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 (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (53 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Chief Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 53 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 Chief Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Chief Lake is about 53 ft (16 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Chief Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Chief 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.
Squaw Lake 1 mi · Perch Lake 2 mi · Horseshoe Lake 3 mi · Mud Lake 3 mi · Island Lake 4 mi · Fence Lake 4 mi · Lotto Lake 4 mi · Witch Lake 4 mi · Helen Lake 8 mi · Edey Lake 8 mi · Silver Lake 8 mi · Perch Lake 8 mi
See how Chief Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Marquette County fishing maps (49 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.