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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
49-acre lake near Grand Traverse County. The lake tops out around 25 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.
Drawn out, this is 48 acres of water rimmed by 1.3 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 81% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.5 mi, about 0.3 mi across. The water lies in Grand Traverse County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Arbutus Lake, 2 mi south of here.
Spring yellow perch on High Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn | Deep basin (23 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: muskellunge in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 10 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 8 to 25 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, rock bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Keep a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
High Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 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.
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 23 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. 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 High Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
High Lake is about 25 ft (8 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 yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, common carp, longnose gar on High 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 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 High 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.
Arbutus Lake 2 mi · Indian Lake 2 mi · Boardman River 2 mi · Rennie Lake 3 mi · Dollar Lake 5 mi · Boardman Lake 6 mi · Silver Lake 8 mi · Guernsey Lake 9 mi · Truax Lake 9 mi · Bass Lake 10 mi · Cedar Lake 10 mi · Haynes Lake 11 mi
See how High Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Grand Traverse County fishing maps (23 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.