Lake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
98-acre lake near Marquette County. The lake tops out around 5 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 97 acres wrapped in 1.7 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.6 mi with a 0.4-mi widest point. Marquette County claims this one. Shag Lake sits 2 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 1 to 5 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 5 ft covers summer, 2 to 5 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (2 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 1 to 5 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 5 ft, winter 2 to 5 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: pumpkinseed in 1 to 5 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 5 ft through summer, 2 to 5 ft in winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 4 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Mud Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Mud Lake is about 5 ft (2 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, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed on Mud 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Mud 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.
Shag Lake 2 mi · Pike Lake 3 mi · Bass Lake 4 mi · Crooked Lake 4 mi · Anderson Lake 5 mi · Johnson Lake 6 mi · Bertraud Lake 6 mi · Stump Lake 7 mi · Rice Lake 7 mi · Bass Lake 8 mi · Powell Lake 8 mi · Little Lake 9 mi
See how Mud Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan · best pumpkinseed lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Marquette County fishing maps (49 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.