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1,144-acre lake near Barry County. The lake tops out around 12 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's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Crooked Lake, Lower's chart carries 6.1 miles of bank. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Figure 2.3 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.8 mi at the beam. The water lies in Barry County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Warner Lake, 3 mi west of here.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 12 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 11 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 4 to 12 ft covers summer, 4 to 12 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 12 ft, and they winter in 4 to 12 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for winter smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 12 ft, wintering in 4 to 12 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crooked Lake, Lower carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 11 ft down.
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 Crooked Lake, Lower specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Crooked Lake, Lower is about 12 ft (4 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 yellow perch, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Crooked Lake, Lower. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Crooked Lake, Lower 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.
Warner Lake 3 mi · Pine Lake 4 mi · Little Long Lake 4 mi · Pleasant Lake 4 mi · Wilkinson Lake 5 mi · Wall Lake 5 mi · Gilkey Lake 5 mi · Gull Lake 6 mi · Fish Lake 6 mi · Duck Lake 6 mi · Kalamazoo River 6 mi · Guernsey Lake 6 mi
See how Crooked Lake, Lower stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Barry County fishing maps (33 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.