Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Merwin Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Merwin Lake: what the data says
161-acre lake near Schoolcraft County. The lake tops out around 3 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 Merwin Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 3 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 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. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Merwin Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Merwin Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 3 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Merwin Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 3 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Merwin Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 1 to 3 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Merwin Lake
Spring yellow perch on Merwin Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 3 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 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. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Merwin Lake?
Merwin Lake is about 3 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 Merwin Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Merwin Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Merwin Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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 Merwin 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
Palmer Lake · Marblehead Lake · Gulliver Lake · McDonald Lake · Tee Lake · Stewart Lake
See how Merwin 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.