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1,003,153-acre section. Kenosha and Milwaukee up through Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Kewaunee: deep water close to shore makes this the most consistent salmon trolling on the west side of the lake. The lake tops out around 451 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.
Drawn out, this is 1,012,522 acres of water rimmed by 337.5 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.4) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 0% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 151.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 23 mi at the beam. The nearest mapped water is Ludowissi Lake, 15 mi to the west.
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. Milwaukee harbor mouth is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 14 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 | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (79 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Sharp break (34 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: Milwaukee harbor mouth, an inflow / creek mouth in the 14 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 | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (34 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Sharp break (26 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 Milwaukee harbor mouth. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 14 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 | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (19 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Come spring, look for brown trout tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Milwaukee harbor mouth: an inflow / creek mouth around 14 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Sharp break (26 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Milwaukee harbor mouth (14 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
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. Fall lake trout concentrate at Rock reef, a prime-rated rock pile around 28 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 | Rock reef (28 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Sharp break (79 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (28 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Sharp break (26 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
The chart marks 87 structure features on Lake Michigan - Wisconsin Shore; the deepest is Deepest basin at about 401 ft.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR — Boat Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Michigan - Wisconsin Shore specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Lake Michigan - Wisconsin Shore is about 451 ft (137 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 on Lake Michigan - Wisconsin Shore.
Milwaukee harbor mouth is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 - Wisconsin Shore is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Ludowissi Lake 15 mi · Hingham Mill Pond 16 mi · Spring Lake 17 mi · Huiras Lake 18 mi · Sheboygan Quarry 18 mi · Waldo Mill Pond 19 mi · Lake Ellen 21 mi · Horn Lake 21 mi · Lake Twelve 21 mi · Newburg Pond 22 mi · Mill Pond 23 mi · Erler Lake 24 mi
See how Lake Michigan - Wisconsin Shore stacks up: best lake trout lakes in Wisconsin · best brown trout lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin 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.