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407-acre lake near Menominee County. The lake tops out around 5 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.
Drawn out, this is 431 acres of water rimmed by 3.4 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.2) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. The basin spans about 1.1 mi end to end and 1 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Menominee County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: North Lake, 2 mi north of here.
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 1 to 5 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 5 ft covers summer, 2 to 5 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 2 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 1 to 5 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 5 ft through summer, 2 to 5 ft in winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 1 to 5 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 5 ft covers summer, 2 to 5 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 5 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 5 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 5 ft, and they winter in 2 to 5 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Hayward Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 5 ft down.
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 Hayward Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Hayward Lake is about 5 ft (2 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 Hayward 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 2 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Hayward 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.
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See how Hayward 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: Menominee County fishing maps (8 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.