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610-acre lake near Ludington. The lake tops out around 44 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 648 acres, worked by 9.7 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.7) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. 40% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 2.5 mi, about 1.1 mi across. It sits in Mason County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Hackert Lake, is 6 mi to the northeast.
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Pere Marquette River inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Pere Marquette River inflow (7 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (31 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (31 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (42 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 13 to 44 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 10 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (31 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 13 to 44 ft | midday | Break off the point (31 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 31 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. 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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (31 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (31 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (42 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Put Pere Marquette River inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 7 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Pere Marquette River inflow (7 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Pere Marquette River inflow (7 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (31 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, steelhead run shallow here, mostly 3 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 44 ft before dropping to 4 to 15 ft for winter. Spring steelhead concentrate at Pere Marquette River inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 7 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Pere Marquette River inflow (7 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 44 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (42 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Pere Marquette River inflow (7 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Pere Marquette River inflow (7 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
When the water first warms, chinook salmon slide up into 5 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 13 to 44 ft, and by winter most fish are in 13 to 44 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Pere Marquette River inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Pere Marquette River inflow (7 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 13 to 44 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (42 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 9 to 44 ft | dawn & dusk | Pere Marquette River inflow (7 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 13 to 44 ft | midday | Deep basin (42 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Pere Marquette Lake also holds coho salmon (13 to 44 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Pere Marquette Lake carries 20 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 42 ft down.
Access data: Michigan DNR — Michigan Boating Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Pere Marquette Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Pere Marquette Lake is about 44 ft (13 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target walleye, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rainbow trout, steelhead, chinook salmon, coho salmon on Pere Marquette Lake.
Pere Marquette River inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and 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 Pere Marquette 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.
Hackert Lake 6 mi · Hamlin Lake 7 mi · Bass Lake 8 mi · Eden Lake 11 mi · Bartons Lake 13 mi · Gun Lake 16 mi · Wyckoff Lake 16 mi · Hart Lake 16 mi · Tallman Lake 17 mi · Long Lake 17 mi · Chancellor Lake 17 mi · Ford Lake 17 mi
See how Pere Marquette Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best walleye lakes in Michigan · best rainbow trout lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Mason County fishing maps (13 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. 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.