Lake Whitefish fishing at Portage

Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 15 to 45 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 17 to 57 ft, and winter fish settle into 17 to 57 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 48 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.

Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Portage

Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 17 to 57 ft, and by winter most fish are in 17 to 57 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 48 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.

Yellow Perch fishing at Portage

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.

Northern Pike fishing at Portage

Spring northern pike on Portage hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Portage

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 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime 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.

Rock Bass fishing at Portage

Spring rock bass on Portage hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 14 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is the evening. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.

How deep is Portage?

Portage is about 57 ft 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.

What fish are in Portage?

Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, lake whitefish, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Portage.

Where is the best fishing spot on Portage?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 48 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Portage?

For lake whitefish, 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.