Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
85-acre lake in Ashland County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 6 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 85 acres wrapped in 1.8 miles of bank. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 0.6 mi long by 0.4 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Ashland County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Hay Lake, is 2 mi to the southeast.
Spring northern pike on Hoffman Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 6 ft in summer, 2 to 6 ft once it turns cold. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Hoffman Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Main-lake point, about 6 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Hoffman Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Hoffman Lake is about 6 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target northern pike on Hoffman Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For northern pike, 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.
Fishing on Hoffman Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Hay Lake 2 mi · Blockhouse Lake 3 mi · Hansen Lake 3 mi · Hay Creek Flowage 3 mi · Park Falls Flowage, Upper 5 mi · Lake Nine 5 mi · Tracy Lake 6 mi · Kabol Lake 6 mi · Island Lake 6 mi · Lost Lake 6 mi · South Lake 6 mi · Minnow Lake 7 mi
See how Hoffman Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Ashland County fishing maps (68 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.