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474-acre lake near Grand Traverse County. The lake tops out around 55 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Drawn out, this is 617 acres of water rimmed by 4.5 miles of bank, with 2 islands in the mix. Its 1.3 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 59% of this chart. Call it 1.2 mi long by 1.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Grand Traverse County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Long Lake, 2 mi east of here.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 7 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (55 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring yellow perch on Fife 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 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 1 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 1 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring crappie concentrate at Dock / pier line, a prime-rated dock line around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (55 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 8 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 55 ft.
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 Fife Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Fife Lake is about 55 ft (17 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 walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Fife 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 1 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and 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 Fife 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.
Long Lake 2 mi · Dollar Lake 9 mi · Rennie Lake 9 mi · Bass Lake 9 mi · Twentyeight Lakes (cen 9 mi · Guernsey Lake 10 mi · Indian Lake 11 mi · Arbutus Lake 11 mi · Island Lake 11 mi · High Lake 12 mi · Haynes Lake 13 mi · Truax Lake 13 mi
See how Fife Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best walleye lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Grand Traverse County fishing maps (23 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.