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Fishing Kimes Lake: what the data says
54-acre lake near Newaygo County. The lake tops out around 30 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Brook Trout fishing at Kimes Lake
Spring brook trout on Kimes Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Kimes Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 30 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Kimes Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. They move out to 9 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Best bite is after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 30 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Chinook Salmon fishing at Kimes Lake
Spring chinook salmon on Kimes Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 30 ft. Summer fish stay in 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish hold in 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 6 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Coho Salmon fishing at Kimes Lake
Spring coho salmon on Kimes Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 9 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for summer coho salmon. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 6 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Kimes Lake
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 8 to 30 ft. Summer fish stay in 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish hold in 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Kimes Lake also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), northern pike (8 to 20 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), 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), burbot (9 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Kimes Lake?
Kimes Lake is about 30 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 Kimes Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, chinook salmon, coho salmon, brown trout, brook trout, burbot, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Kimes 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 Kimes Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Kimes Lake?
For brook trout, 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
McLaren Lake · Benton Lake · Nichols Lake · Woodland Lake · Campbell Lake · Gilbert Lake
See how Kimes 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
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.