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399-acre lake near Barry County. The lake tops out around 16 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 16 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 16 ft that scores prime in fall. 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 | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 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 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 (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 16 ft before dropping to 5 to 16 ft for winter. Winter muskellunge concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 16 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 4 to 16 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 1 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 (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (1 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 16 ft before dropping to 5 to 16 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 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 (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 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 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 16 ft range, prime in winter. 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 | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Clear Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Clear Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 16 ft down.
Access data: Michigan DNR — Michigan Boating Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Clear Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Clear Lake is about 16 ft (5 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, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Clear 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.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 Clear 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.
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See how Clear 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
More water nearby: Barry County fishing maps (33 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.