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673,346-acre section. Tawas to Rogers City, with Thunder Bay off Alpena in the middle: lake trout water first, with walleye pushing out of the rivers and smallmouth on the rock. The lake tops out around 437 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Spring lake trout on Lake Huron - Sunrise Coast hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. The chart's best answer is Rock reef — rock pile, 38 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (38 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (114 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (38 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (56 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Au Sable River mouth, an inflow / creek mouth in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Au Sable River mouth (13 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (36 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: steelhead sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 45 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Au Sable River mouth, an inflow / creek mouth in the 13 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Au Sable River mouth (13 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep hole (1 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Au Sable River mouth (13 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Au Sable River mouth (13 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Rock reef — rock pile, 9 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (9 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (14 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep break (43 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Feeding flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 8 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Feeding flat (8 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 90 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 70 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for fall lake whitefish. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Rock reef (38 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (89 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (9 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (56 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Lake Huron - Sunrise Coast also holds burbot (50 to 120 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 89 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deepest basin, sits near 311 ft.
Access data: Michigan DNR — Michigan Boating Access Sites. 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 Lake Huron - Sunrise Coast specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Lake Huron - Sunrise Coast is about 437 ft (133 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target lake trout, walleye, steelhead, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, lake whitefish, burbot on Lake Huron - Sunrise Coast.
Au Sable River mouth is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For lake trout, 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 Lake Huron - Sunrise Coast 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.
Devils Lake 11 mi · Hubbard Lake 13 mi · Crystal Lake 13 mi · Brownlee Lake 13 mi · Ninth Street Pond 15 mi · Jewell Lake 19 mi · Beaver Lake 24 mi · Long Lake 24 mi · Cedar Lake 24 mi · Fletcher Pond 27 mi · North Lake 28 mi · Curtis Lake 28 mi
See how Lake Huron - Sunrise Coast stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best walleye lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan · best steelhead lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Alpena County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. 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.