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11,192-acre lake near Leelanau County. The lake tops out around 62 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, 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.
Shoreline on the chart totals 22.6 miles. A middling shoreline index (1.8) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. About 56% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 10.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.7 mi at the beam. It sits in Leelanau County. If the bite dies, Lime Lake is 6 mi to the west.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Weed flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Lake Leelanau hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Sharp break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 25 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (17 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (17 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (25 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring bluegill on Lake Leelanau hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 1 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Weed flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring crappie on Lake Leelanau hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Weed flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (17 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (17 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Weed flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Sharp break (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (17 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts lake whitefish in skinny water — 15 to 45 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 19 to 62 ft, wintering in 19 to 62 ft. Summer lake whitefish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 61 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (17 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 19 to 62 ft | dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Sharp break (17 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 19 to 62 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Structure-wise the chart holds 18 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 61 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 Leelanau specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Lake Leelanau is about 62 ft (19 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, lake whitefish on Lake Leelanau. 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.
Weed flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 Leelanau 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.
Lime Lake 6 mi · Little Traverse Lake 6 mi · Duck Lake 6 mi · School Lake 8 mi · Cedar Lake 8 mi · Shell Lake 9 mi · Lake Michigan - Grand Traverse Bays 11 mi · Coffield Lake 11 mi · Cedar Lake 12 mi · Glen Lake 12 mi · Stevens Lake 12 mi · Boardman Lake 12 mi
See how Lake Leelanau stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Leelanau County fishing maps (9 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.