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Fishing Lower Straits Lake: what the data says
380-acre lake near Oakland County. The lake tops out around 21 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.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lower Straits Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lower Straits Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 21 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 5 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Lower Straits Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Lower Straits Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 21 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lower Straits Lake
Spring yellow perch on Lower Straits Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 21 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 20 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. 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 | 6 to 21 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lower Straits Lake?
Lower Straits Lake is about 21 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 Straits Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Lower Straits Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lower Straits Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 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.
When is the best time to fish Lower Straits Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Middle Straits Lake · Union Lake · South Commerce Lake · Wolverine Lake · Cedar Island Lake · Oxbow Lake
See how Lower Straits Lake 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 or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.