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Fishing Perch Lake: what the data says
945-acre lake near Iron County. The lake tops out around 14 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 Perch Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Perch Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Perch Lake
Spring bluegill on Perch Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| 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 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Perch Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Perch Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 14 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Perch Lake?
Perch Lake is about 14 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 Perch Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Perch Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Perch 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 Perch 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
Cable Lake · Porter Lake · Winslow Lake · Iron Lake · Paint Lake · Sunset Lake
See how Perch 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.