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Fishing Otter Lake: what the data says
1,118-acre lake near Houghton County. The lake tops out around 29 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Otter Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. 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 | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Otter Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Otter Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 9 to 29 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 19 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Otter Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 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. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| 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 | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Otter Lake
Spring crappie on Otter Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 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 | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Otter Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 29 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Otter Lake
Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 18 ft. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Otter Lake also holds rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 29 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 19 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Otter Lake?
Otter Lake is about 29 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 Otter Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed on Otter Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Otter 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 Otter 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
Sturgeon River (UP) · Portage Lake (UP) · Prickett Lake · Gerald, Lake · Roland, Lake · Big Lake
See how Otter 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.