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Fishing King Lake: what the data says
34-acre lake near Hillsdale County. The lake tops out around 27 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Yellow Perch fishing at King Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 27 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 27 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at King Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 19 ft, rated prime for fall northern pike. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at King Lake
Spring largemouth bass on King Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 10 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| 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 | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at King Lake
In spring, rock bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 27 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Crappie fishing at King Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 26 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| 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 | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at King Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for winter bluegill. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| 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 |
King Lake also holds 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.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 26 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 19 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 10 ft
Common questions
How deep is King Lake?
King Lake is about 27 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 King Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, common carp, longnose gar, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on King 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 King Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish King Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
BAW BEESE (FIRST) Lake · Bear Lake · South Sand Lake · North Sand Lake · Cambria Millpond · Pleasant Lake
See how King Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike 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.