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1,152,977-acre section. Charlevoix, Petoskey and Harbor Springs around Little Traverse Bay, out to the Beaver Island archipelago: kings off the breakwalls and trophy smallmouth on the island reefs. The lake tops out around 581 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
In spring, chinook salmon run shallow here, mostly 5 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 50 to 120 ft, and winter fish settle into 30 to 90 ft. Bear River mouth (Petoskey) is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 1 ft, rated prime for spring chinook salmon. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Bear River mouth (Petoskey) (1 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep break (78 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep break (43 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Deep break (78 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: coho salmon in 3 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 30 to 70 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Bear River mouth (Petoskey), an inflow / creek mouth in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Bear River mouth (Petoskey) (1 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep break (43 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Bear River mouth (Petoskey) (1 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Deep break (43 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
When the water first warms, steelhead slide up into 3 to 20 ft. Summer is a 5 to 45 ft game here, winter a 4 to 15 ft one. Start at Bear River mouth (Petoskey). It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bear River mouth (Petoskey) (1 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep break (43 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Bear River mouth (Petoskey) (1 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Bear River mouth (Petoskey) (1 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 50 to 120 ft, wintering in 20 to 80 ft. Summer lake trout concentrate at Offshore hump, a prime-rated offshore hump around 89 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (25 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (89 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (32 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (32 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Shoreline point, a point in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (32 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (25 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep break (43 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season lake whitefish use the shallows, holding in 15 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 90 ft, then a winter hold in 25 to 70 ft. Put Offshore hump first on the milk run — an offshore hump near 89 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (32 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 | Offshore hump (32 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Lake Michigan - Little Traverse Bay and the Beaver Islands also holds brown trout (25 to 60 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Lake Michigan - Little Traverse Bay and the Beaver Islands carries 86 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deepest basin, about 566 ft down.
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 Michigan - Little Traverse Bay and the Beaver Islands specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Lake Michigan - Little Traverse Bay and the Beaver Islands is about 581 ft (177 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, lake trout, smallmouth bass, lake whitefish, brown trout on Lake Michigan - Little Traverse Bay and the Beaver Islands.
Shoreline point is the top-rated area: a point in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For chinook salmon, 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 Lake Michigan - Little Traverse Bay and the Beaver Islands 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.
Lake Geneserath 11 mi · Susan Lake 14 mi · Fox Lake 15 mi · Barneys Lake 18 mi · Lake Marion 19 mi · Skinner Lake 19 mi · Harwood Lake 20 mi · Matchett Lake 20 mi · Lake Charlevoix 21 mi · Little Torch Lake 21 mi · Wycamp Lake 21 mi · Larks Lake 22 mi
See how Lake Michigan - Little Traverse Bay and the Beaver Islands stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best chinook salmon lakes in Michigan · best coho salmon lakes in Michigan · best steelhead lakes in Michigan
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.