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Fishing Guernsey Lake: what the data says
43-acre lake near Kalkaska County. The lake tops out around 46 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.
Brook Trout fishing at Guernsey Lake
Spring brook trout on Guernsey Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 31 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Guernsey Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Guernsey Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 31 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Guernsey Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 14 to 46 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 31 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 14 to 46 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Chinook Salmon fishing at Guernsey Lake
Start shallow in spring: chinook salmon sit in 5 to 40 ft that time of year. They move out to 14 to 46 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 46 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 44 ft, rated prime for summer chinook salmon. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 14 to 46 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 9 to 46 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 14 to 46 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Coho Salmon fishing at Guernsey Lake
Start shallow in spring: coho salmon sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. They move out to 14 to 46 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 46 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 44 ft of water that rates prime for coho salmon in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 14 to 46 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 14 to 46 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Guernsey Lake
Spring cisco (lake herring) on Guernsey Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 14 to 46 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 46 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 44 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 14 to 46 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 14 to 46 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Guernsey Lake also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), northern pike (8 to 20 ft in summer), muskellunge (8 to 25 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), burbot (14 to 46 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 44 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 31 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 19 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 14 ft
Common questions
How deep is Guernsey Lake?
Guernsey Lake is about 46 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 Guernsey Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, rainbow trout, muskellunge, yellow perch, longnose gar, chinook salmon, coho salmon, brown trout, brook trout, burbot, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Guernsey 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 Guernsey Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 44 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Guernsey 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.
Nearby waters
Island Lake · Haynes Lake · Truax Lake · Smith Lake · Dollar Lake · Skegemog, Lake
See how Guernsey Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike 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.