Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Cranberry Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Cranberry Lake: what the data says
123-acre lake near Ogemaw County. The lake tops out around 34 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Brook Trout fishing at Cranberry Lake
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Cranberry Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 34 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 34 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 7 to 34 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Cranberry Lake
Spring brown trout on Cranberry Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 34 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 34 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 24 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 10 to 34 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 34 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Chinook Salmon fishing at Cranberry Lake
Spring chinook salmon on Cranberry Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 34 ft. Summer fish stay in 10 to 34 ft, and winter fish hold in 10 to 34 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 34 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 10 to 34 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 7 to 34 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Yellow Perch fishing at Cranberry Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 34 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 10 to 34 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Cranberry Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow 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. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| 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 |
Cranberry Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), 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 32 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 24 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Cranberry Lake?
Cranberry Lake is about 34 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 Cranberry Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, common carp, chinook salmon, brown trout, brook trout, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Cranberry 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 Cranberry Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Cranberry Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Hewey Lake · Mills Lake · Rifle River · Birch Lake · Feeding Ground Lake · Skidway Lake
See how Cranberry 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
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.