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Rating depth structure for crappie.
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31-acre reservoir in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 7 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Cranberry Flowage draws 31 acres inside 1.8 miles of shoreline. An index of 2.3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 0.6 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Jackson County. The nearest mapped water is Cranberry Flowage, Lower, 1 mi to the west.
Spring yellow perch on Cranberry Flowage hold shallow, usually 2 to 7 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 7 ft in summer, 2 to 7 ft once it turns cold. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run 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 | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 7 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 7 ft before dropping to 2 to 7 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Main-lake point, sits near 7 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Cranberry Flowage specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Cranberry Flowage is about 7 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target yellow perch, crappie, bluegill on Cranberry Flowage. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Cranberry Flowage is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Cranberry Flowage, Lower 1 mi · Black River Flowage 5 mi · Levis Flowage 7 mi · Teal Flowage 7 mi · Funmaker Flowage 7 mi · Black River 7 mi · Little Bear Flowage 8 mi · Wildcat Flowage 8 mi · Big Bear Flowage 8 mi · Lower Wilson Marsh Flowage 8 mi · Dry Land Flowage 8 mi · Wilson Marsh Flowage 8 mi
See how Cranberry Flowage stacks up: best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Jackson County fishing maps (39 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.