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Fishing Lower Barnhart Lake: what the data says
63-acre lake near Presque Isle County. The lake tops out around 18 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Yellow Perch fishing at Lower Barnhart Lake
Spring yellow perch on Lower Barnhart Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Lower Barnhart Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lower Barnhart Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in winter. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lower Barnhart Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at Lower Barnhart Lake
In spring, rock bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 5 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Lower Barnhart Lake
In spring, pumpkinseed run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring pumpkinseed. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Lower Barnhart Lake also holds brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 17 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lower Barnhart Lake?
Lower Barnhart Lake is about 18 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lower Barnhart Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Lower Barnhart Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lower Barnhart Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lower Barnhart Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Upper Barnhart Lake · Mud Lake · Bullhead Lake · Gorman Lake · Nettie, Lake · Drum Lake
See how Lower Barnhart Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan
Browse all Michigan fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.