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138-acre lake near Cass County. The lake tops out around 50 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 120 acres wrapped in 2.2 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Roughly 31% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.9 mi with a 0.4-mi widest point. Cass County claims this one. Corey Lake sits 1 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 3 to 20 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Spring puts cisco (lake herring) in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 50 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 50 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 50 ft, rated prime for summer cisco (lake herring). Plan around early morning in the warm months. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (50 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn | Deep basin (50 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | dawn | Deep basin (50 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| 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 | Deep basin (50 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (42 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (50 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Harwood 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. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 1 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Harwood 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 20 to 45 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 42 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| 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 (42 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (42 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 1 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 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 | Shallow bay flat (1 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 (42 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Harwood Lake also holds rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 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), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 50 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Harwood Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Harwood Lake is about 50 ft (15 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 brook trout, cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, longnose gar on Harwood 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.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 50 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Harwood 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.
Corey Lake 1 mi · Long Lake 2 mi · Clear Lake 2 mi · Bair Lake 3 mi · Pleasant Lake 4 mi · Miller Lake 4 mi · Birch Lake 6 mi · St. Joseph River (MI) 6 mi · Donnell Lake 7 mi · Huyck Lake 7 mi · Paradise Lake 8 mi · Shavehead Lake 8 mi
See how Harwood 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: Cass County fishing maps (29 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.