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648,085-acre section. Manistee and Frankfort up past Sleeping Bear to Leland: a legendary salmon coast with deep water close in, plus smallmouth on the Leelanau reefs and the Manitou passage. The lake tops out around 690 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Early season chinook salmon use the shallows, holding in 5 to 40 ft. Summer is a 50 to 120 ft game here, winter a 30 to 90 ft one. The chart's best answer is Manistee River mouth — inflow / creek mouth, 16 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Manistee River mouth (16 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (57 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Manistee River mouth (16 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Sharp break (57 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Spring coho salmon on Lake Michigan - Michigan Northwest Shore hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 60 ft. The chart's best answer is Manistee River mouth — inflow / creek mouth, 16 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Manistee River mouth (16 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (57 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Manistee River mouth (16 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Sharp break (57 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Start shallow in spring: steelhead sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 45 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Manistee River mouth, an inflow / creek mouth in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | Manistee River mouth (16 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 | Manistee River mouth (16 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Manistee River mouth (16 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 3 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 25 to 60 ft, wintering in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Manistee River mouth, an inflow / creek mouth in the 16 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Manistee River mouth (16 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Sharp break (57 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Manistee River mouth (16 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Manistee River mouth (16 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Spring lake trout on Lake Michigan - Michigan Northwest Shore hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. Put Rock reef first on the milk run — a rock pile near 44 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run 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 (39 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (53 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (44 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (53 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Put Offshore hump first on the milk run — an offshore hump near 28 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (28 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Rock reef (44 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Lake Michigan - Michigan Northwest Shore also holds lake whitefish (40 to 90 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 74 structure features on Lake Michigan - Michigan Northwest Shore; the deepest is Deepest basin at about 664 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 Michigan - Michigan Northwest Shore specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Lake Michigan - Michigan Northwest Shore is about 690 ft (210 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, brown trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass, lake whitefish on Lake Michigan - Michigan Northwest Shore.
Manistee River mouth is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 - Michigan Northwest Shore 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.
Crystal Lake 4 mi · Lower Herring Lake 8 mi · Platte Lake 8 mi · Upper Herring Lake 8 mi · Little Platte Lake 9 mi · South Bar Lake 14 mi · Lime Lake 17 mi · Garey Lake 17 mi · Bear Lake 17 mi · Turtle Lake 17 mi · Upper Woodcock Lake 18 mi · Bronson Lake 18 mi
See how Lake Michigan - Michigan Northwest Shore 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
More water nearby: Benzie County fishing maps (14 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.