Lake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for northern pike.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
9-acre lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 8 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 9 acres, worked by 0.6 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Bayfield County claims this one. If the bite dies, East Davis Lake is 4 mi to the south.
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 8 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 8 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 8 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 8 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 2 to 8 ft game here, winter a 2 to 8 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: pumpkinseed in 1 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in winter. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Main-lake point, sits near 8 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 Deer Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Deer Lake is about 8 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, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Deer Lake. 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.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Deer Lake 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.
East Davis Lake 4 mi · West Davis Lake 4 mi · Olson Lake 4 mi · Lake Sixteen 4 mi · Club Lake 5 mi · Porcupine Lake 5 mi · Nymphia Lake 5 mi · Pot Lake 5 mi · Lake Knotting 6 mi · Bass Lake 6 mi · Friedbauer Lake 6 mi · Bass Lake 6 mi
See how Deer Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Bayfield County fishing maps (244 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.