Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Clear Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Clear Lake: what the data says
60-acre lake near Schoolcraft County. The lake tops out around 24 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.
Yellow Perch fishing at Clear Lake
Spring yellow perch on Clear Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 24 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. 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 | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Clear Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| 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 Clear Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Clear Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 24 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 24 ft. Secondary point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Rock Bass fishing at Clear Lake
Spring rock bass on Clear Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in summer. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Clear Lake
Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Clear Lake
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday |
Clear 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
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 23 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 14 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Clear Lake?
Clear Lake is about 24 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 Clear Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, common carp, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Clear 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 Clear Lake?
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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Clear Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Gulliver Lake · McDonald Lake · Minnow Lake · Millaquaka Lake · Merwin Lake · Palmer Lake
See how Clear Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan · best common carp 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.