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Rating depth structure for northern pike.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
8-acre lake in Taylor County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 15 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Perch Lake runs 8 acres with 1.5 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 3.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Figure 0.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Taylor County. The nearest mapped water is Long Lake, 1 mi to the southeast.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 13 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 13 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Perch Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Perch Lake is about 15 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, crappie, bluegill on Perch Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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 Perch Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Long Lake 1 mi · Bullhead Lake T32n R01e S07 2 mi · Blank Lake 2 mi · Grassy Knoll Lake 2 mi · Bullhead Lake 2 mi · South Twin Lake 2 mi · Sackett Lake 2 mi · Matt Ochs Lake 2 mi · North Twin Lake 3 mi · Pechstein Lake 3 mi · Kleutch Lake 3 mi · Schoolhouse Lake 4 mi
See how Perch Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Taylor County fishing maps (80 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.