Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
523-acre lake near Clinton County. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Lake Ovid draws 493 acres inside 5 miles of shoreline. Index 1.6 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.8 mi with a 0.9-mi widest point. You'll find it in Clinton County. The nearest mapped water is Muskrat Lake, 9 mi to the west.
Spring yellow perch on Lake Ovid hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. Put Back-bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: muskellunge in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 10 ft, and they winter in 3 to 10 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 10 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 10 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 10 ft before dropping to 3 to 10 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Lake Ovid also holds channel catfish (3 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
9 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 10 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Ovid specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Lake Ovid is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target yellow perch, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Lake Ovid. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Lake Ovid 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.
Muskrat Lake 9 mi · Park Lake 10 mi · Lake Lansing 12 mi · Shiawassee River 27 mi · Myers Lake 28 mi · Indian Lake (central) 30 mi · Ryan Lake 30 mi · Louise Lake 31 mi · Lobdell Lake 31 mi · Lowe Lake 32 mi · Byram Lake 33 mi · Hoisington Lake 33 mi
See how Lake Ovid stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan
Browse all Michigan fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.