Brook Trout fishing at Drum Lake

Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 30 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.

Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Drum Lake

Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 8 to 30 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish hold in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 30 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.

Yellow Perch fishing at Drum Lake

Spring yellow perch on Drum Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.

Northern Pike fishing at Drum Lake

Spring northern pike on Drum Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Drum Lake

Spring smallmouth bass on Drum Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 16 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Drum Lake

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

How deep is Drum Lake?

Drum Lake is about 30 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 Drum Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, brook trout, burbot, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Drum 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 Drum Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Drum 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.