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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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Hay Lake runs 459 acres with 4.2 miles of edge. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Figure 1.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.9 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Mackinac County. The nearest mapped water is Massey Lake, 3 mi to the southeast.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 1 to 4 ft. Even in summer they hold at 1 to 4 ft; winter keeps them in 1 to 4 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 1 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 | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 4 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 4 ft, and they winter in 1 to 4 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 1 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 | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 1 to 4 ft is the zone. 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 1 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 | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 1 to 4 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 4 ft, and they winter in 1 to 4 ft. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 4 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 | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 4 ft covers summer, 1 to 4 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The chart marks 5 structure features on Hay Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 4 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Hay Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Hay Lake is about 4 ft (1 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 yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Hay 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 yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 Hay 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.
Massey Lake 3 mi · Gamble Lake 3 mi · Silver Lake 4 mi · Round Lake 4 mi · Chain Lake 5 mi · Brevoort Lake 8 mi · East Lake 13 mi · French Farm Lake 14 mi · Lake Paradise 18 mi · Bobbygay Lake 20 mi · Frenchman Lake 20 mi · Trout Lake 20 mi
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
More water nearby: Mackinac County fishing maps (16 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.