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Fishing Hemlock Lake: what the data says
150-acre lake near Hillsdale County. The lake tops out around 60 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.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Hemlock Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Hemlock Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Hemlock Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 9 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Hemlock Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 9 ft that scores good in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Hemlock Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Hemlock Lake
Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 18 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 60 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 18 to 60 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Hemlock Lake also holds longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 60 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 33 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 22 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 16 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 13 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
Common questions
How deep is Hemlock Lake?
Hemlock Lake is about 60 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 Hemlock Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, longnose gar, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Hemlock Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Hemlock Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 9 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 Hemlock 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
South Sand Lake · Marble Lake · Bear Lake · Long Lake · Cub Lake · East Long Lake
See how Hemlock 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.