Lake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
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45-acre lake in Forest County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 14 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The outline encloses 45 acres, worked by 1.4 miles of shoreline. With a 1.5 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. End to end it runs roughly 0.5 mi, about 0.3 mi across. It sits in Forest County. If the bite dies, Howell Lake is 1 mi to the east.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 14 ft before dropping to 4 to 14 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| 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 | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Deep basin (12 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (12 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for muskellunge tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 14 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 14 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 4 to 14 ft game here, winter a 4 to 14 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 4 to 14 ft game here, winter a 4 to 14 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| 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 | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 14 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 14 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 12 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 Quartz Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Quartz Lake is about 14 ft (4 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, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Quartz 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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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 Quartz 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.
Howell Lake 1 mi · Sunfish Lake 1 mi · Bose Lake 2 mi · Two Sisters Lakes 2 mi · McKinley Lake 2 mi · Three Johns Lake 2 mi · Two Sisters Lakes 2 mi · Franklin Lake 2 mi · Indian Camp Lake 3 mi · Gertrude Lake 3 mi · Luna Lake 3 mi · Reservoir Lake 3 mi
See how Quartz Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best muskellunge lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Forest County fishing maps (120 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.