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74-acre lake near Jackson County. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
On the chart, Markla Lake draws 87 acres inside 1.5 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 0.6 mi, about 0.4 mi across. You'll find it in Jackson County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Bartig Lake, 3 mi west of here.
Spring yellow perch on Markla Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 4 to 12 ft in summer, 4 to 12 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 11 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 12 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for winter 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 12 ft before dropping to 4 to 12 ft for winter. 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, rock bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 3 to 12 ft game here, winter a 4 to 12 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening. Keep a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 12 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 11 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.
| 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 | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Markla Lake also holds bluegill (3 to 12 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Markla Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 11 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Markla Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Markla Lake is about 12 ft (4 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, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, longnose gar on Markla 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.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. 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 Markla Lake 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.
Bartig Lake 3 mi · Fink Lake 3 mi · Little Portage Lake 3 mi · no name Lake 3 mi · Mud Lake 4 mi · Clear Lake 4 mi · Sugarloaf Lake 4 mi · Ellsworth Lake 4 mi · Portage Lake 5 mi · Williamsville Lake 5 mi · Pond Lily Lake 5 mi · Crooked Lake 5 mi
See how Markla Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Jackson County fishing maps (29 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or 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.