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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
93-acre lake near Schoolcraft County. The lake tops out around 50 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Clear Lake draws 104 acres inside 1.8 miles of shoreline. Its 1.3 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 27% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 0.7 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Schoolcraft County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Beaton Lake, 1 mi south of here.
Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 19 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 8 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 15 to 50 ft game here, winter a 5 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 19 ft, prime for summer. 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Spring yellow perch on Clear Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 19 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| 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 (19 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 19 ft, rated prime for winter largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| 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 | Break off the point (19 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, rock bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 19 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Keep a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Clear Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), burbot (15 to 50 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 50 ft down.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. 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 50 ft (15 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.
Anglers target brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, yellow perch, largemouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, burbot 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.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brook 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.
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.
Beaton Lake 1 mi · NO NAME Lake 1 mi · Colwell Lake 2 mi · Boot Lake 2 mi · Lily Lake 2 mi · Steuben Lake 3 mi · Byers Lake 4 mi · East Lake 5 mi · Big Island Lake 6 mi · Bass Lake 6 mi · Green Bass Lake 7 mi · Triangle Lake 7 mi
See how Clear Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan · best rainbow trout lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Schoolcraft County fishing maps (54 charts). 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.