Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Monocle Lake

In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 17 to 55 ft, and winter fish settle into 17 to 55 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 53 ft, rated prime for summer cisco (lake herring). Best bite is early morning. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.

Walleye fishing at Monocle Lake

Spring walleye on Monocle Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 27 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.

Yellow Perch fishing at Monocle Lake

Spring yellow perch on Monocle Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. 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.

Northern Pike fishing at Monocle Lake

Spring northern pike on Monocle Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Monocle Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.

Rock Bass fishing at Monocle Lake

In spring, rock bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 9 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.

How deep is Monocle Lake?

Monocle Lake is about 55 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 Monocle Lake?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Monocle Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Monocle Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 53 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Monocle Lake?

For cisco (lake herring), 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.