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1,580-acre lake near Coldwater. The lake tops out around 90 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.
Coldwater Lake maps at 1,602 acres behind 14.1 miles of shoreline. A development index of 2.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 48% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Figure 3 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.9 mi at the beam. Branch County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, East Long Lake, is 2 mi to the north.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Back-bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 15 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 8 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 90 ft.
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 Coldwater Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Coldwater Lake is about 90 ft (27 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, walleye, yellow perch on Coldwater Lake.
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 Coldwater 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.
East Long Lake 2 mi · Silver Lake 3 mi · Lake of The Woods 4 mi · Lake Bartholomew 5 mi · George lake 5 mi, MI/IN · Lake George (Fremont) 5 mi, IN/MI · Barton Lake 6 mi, IN · Snow Lake 7 mi, IN · Little Otter Lake 7 mi, IN · Marble Lake 7 mi · Gentian/Failing Lake 8 mi, IN · South Lake 8 mi
See how Coldwater Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best walleye lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Branch County fishing maps (14 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.