Hoisington Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MI)

Lake depth chart

Hoisington Lake, MI

Max 62 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Target species

Species estimated from nearby surveyed lakes. No fish-species survey is on record for this water, so these species aren't a confirmed catch list. They're an informed estimate: the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the same region, kept only where they fit this lake's depth and habitat. Treat them as what's likely present. (The depth chart itself is real surveyed bathymetry.) How we estimate species →

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · colder nights and shortening days start the push in early September — shiners slide out of open water toward warmer shallows and run up the rivers; the Rainy River run off Lake of the Woods is the marquee version

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Fall frog migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 25 – Nov 10 · frogs leave the marshes and sloughs for deeper wintering water as fall cools — the corroborated core is October; the funnels are the connections between marsh and main lake

adultevenings into after dark, where the marsh meets the lake — a funnel event — frogs cross from marshy shallows into the larger, deeper neighboring water and burrow into the soft bottom; fish the crossing, not the marsh

A short, place-specific buffet: predators stage where the frog traffic crosses — inlet mouths, culverts, the marsh-to-lake throat.

A weedless hollow-body frog worked slow across the marsh mouth at dusk; after dark, a slow-rolled swimbait or a bottom rig fished right on the soft bottom off the opening.

The event happens over the throats between marshes and the main lake — inlet mouths, culvert channels, soft-bottom bays just off the weeds

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageApr 1 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 15 – Aug 10 · in ~7 months

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyJun 15 – Aug 15 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Hoisington Lake

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Fishing Hoisington Lake: what the data says

114-acre lake near Livingston County. The lake tops out around 62 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

Drawn out, this is 126 acres of water rimmed by 2.1 miles of bank. Its 1.3 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 24% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 0.6 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Livingston County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lobdell Lake, 2 mi northwest of here.

Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Hoisington Lake

Early season cisco (lake herring) use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 19 to 62 ft game here, winter a 20 to 60 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 60 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.

Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white)
Summer	19 to 62 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (60 ft)	Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver)
Winter	20 to 60 ft	dawn	Deep basin (60 ft)	Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head

Yellow Perch fishing at Hoisington Lake

Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 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	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Back-bay flat (12 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Back-bay flat (12 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at Hoisington Lake

Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (12 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Hoisington Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 11 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	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (50 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Largemouth Bass fishing at Hoisington Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 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	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (12 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Rock Bass fishing at Hoisington Lake

Early season rock bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 5 to 20 ft game here, winter a 12 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 11 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is the evening. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner
Summer	5 to 20 ft	dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Ned rig (small), Marabou jig
Fall	8 to 22 ft	midday	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Small tube jig, Inline spinner
Winter	12 to 30 ft	midday	open water	Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike

Hoisington Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), 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). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Hoisington Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 60 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 60 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 50 ft
Secondary point: point, around 15 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 12 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

Hoisington Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Hoisington Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Hoisington Lake?

Hoisington Lake is about 62 ft (19 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.

What fish are in Hoisington Lake?

Anglers target cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, common carp on Hoisington 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.

Where is the best fishing spot on Hoisington Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 60 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Hoisington Lake?

For cisco (lake herring), 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Hoisington Lake?

Fishing on Hoisington 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.

Nearby waters

Lobdell Lake 2 mi · Pine Lake 2 mi · Byram Lake 2 mi · Ryan Lake 3 mi · Louise Lake 3 mi · Lake Ponemah 4 mi · Indian Lake (central) 5 mi · Myers Lake 5 mi · Lake Fenton 6 mi · Tyrone Lake 6 mi · Big Seven Lake 7 mi · Tipsico Lake 7 mi

See how Hoisington Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan

More water nearby: Livingston County fishing maps (42 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps. 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.

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