Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
283-acre lake near Cheboygan County. The lake tops out around 8 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.
There are 3.2 miles of drawn shoreline to work. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Figure 1.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.7 mi at the beam. It sits in Cheboygan County. Dorsy Lake sits 3 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Dog Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 2 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 8 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 8 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Dog Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 8 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| 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 | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Dog Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 8 ft, and by winter most fish are in 2 to 8 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| 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 | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 8 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Dog Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Dog Lake is about 8 ft (2 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, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Dog Lake. 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. 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 Dog 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.
Dorsy Lake 3 mi · Osmun Lake 3 mi · Cornwall Creek Floodin Lake 4 mi · Hackett Lake 5 mi · Lance Lake 9 mi · Pickerel Lake 9 mi · Bear Den Lake 10 mi · Roberts Lake 11 mi · Francis Lake 11 mi · Cochran Lake 11 mi · Silver Lake 11 mi · Walled Lake 11 mi
See how Dog Lake 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: Cheboygan County fishing maps (21 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.