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Fishing Esau, Lake: what the data says
281-acre lake near Presque Isle County. The lake tops out around 29 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Esau, Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Esau, Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Esau, Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 9 to 29 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 29 ft. Secondary point is the standout, a point at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Esau, Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Esau, Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 29 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 28 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Esau, Lake
Spring yellow perch on Esau, Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 9 to 29 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 28 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Esau, Lake?
Esau, Lake is about 29 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 Esau, Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Esau, Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Esau, Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Esau, Lake?
For largemouth bass, 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
Grand Lake · Long Lake · Augusta, Lake · Ninth Street Pond · Devils Lake · Lake Huron - Sunrise Coast
See how Esau, 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
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.