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602,417-acre section. Island-studded lake trout water off Bayfield, and shallow Chequamegon Bay with its famous smallmouth and brown trout fishery out of Ashland. The lake tops out around 613 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Come spring, look for lake trout tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Start at Offshore hump. It's an offshore hump holding about 99 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (99 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (48 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (48 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Offshore hump: an offshore hump around 24 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 (24 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep break (49 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Offshore hump is the standout, an offshore hump at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for summer walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline point (7 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, coho salmon slide up into 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 30 to 70 ft game here, winter a 20 to 60 ft one. Start at Deep break. It's a drop-off holding about 61 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep break (61 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Deep break (49 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Spring puts brown trout in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 25 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Deep break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 49 ft, rated prime for summer brown trout. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Deep break (49 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Sharp break (1 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Feeding flat: a feeding flat around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Feeding flat (7 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (7 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Feeding flat (7 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Lake Superior - Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay also holds lake whitefish (40 to 90 ft in summer), burbot (50 to 120 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 87 structure features on Lake Superior - Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay; the deepest is Deepest basin at about 600 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 Superior - Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Lake Superior - Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay is about 613 ft (187 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, smallmouth bass, walleye, coho salmon, brown trout, northern pike, lake whitefish, burbot on Lake Superior - Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay.
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: an offshore hump in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Superior - Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay 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.
Big Bay Lagoon 5 mi · Bog Lake 9 mi · Bad River Slough 15 mi · Perch Lake 15 mi · Little Siskiwit Lake 16 mi · Honest John Lake 16 mi · Twin Lakes 17 mi · Twin Lakes 17 mi · Siskiwit Lake 17 mi · Long Lake 18 mi · Pictured Rock Lake 19 mi · Bark Bay Slough 20 mi
See how Lake Superior - Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin · best lake 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.