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Fishing Hay Lake: what the data says
565-acre lake near Mackinac County. The lake tops out around 4 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Hay Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 4 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Hay Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 4 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Hay Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Hay Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 4 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Hay Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch 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 | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Hay Lake?
Hay Lake is about 4 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 Hay Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Hay Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Hay Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 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 Hay 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
Chain Lake · Round Lake · East Lake · French Farm Lake · Paradise, Lake · Frenchman Lake
See how Hay 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.