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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
37-acre lake near Mecosta County. The lake tops out around 21 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Gorrel Lake draws 32 acres inside 1 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.3) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 0.3 mi, about 0.2 mi across. You'll find it in Mecosta County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Merrill Lake, 1 mi north of here.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 6 to 21 ft game here, winter a 6 to 21 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 21 ft before dropping to 6 to 21 ft for winter. Spring smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 21 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for rock bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 18 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 21 ft before dropping to 6 to 21 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 18 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Gorrel Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Gorrel Lake carries 3 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 18 ft down.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. 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 Gorrel Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Gorrel Lake is about 21 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Gorrel 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 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 Gorrel 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.
Merrill Lake 1 mi · Tubs Lake 4 mi · Big Lake 5 mi · Eight Point Lake 5 mi · Hodges Lake 6 mi · Martiny Lake 6 mi · Saddlebag Lake 7 mi · Long Lake 7 mi · Chippewa Lake 7 mi · Gray Lake 7 mi · Tiff Lake 8 mi · Crooked Lake 8 mi
See how Gorrel Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Mecosta County fishing maps (22 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.