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Fishing Reed Lake: what the data says
35-acre lake near Lake County. The lake tops out around 45 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Brook Trout fishing at Reed Lake
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 21 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Reed Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Reed Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 21 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Reed Lake
Spring brown trout on Reed Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 14 to 45 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 21 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Chinook Salmon fishing at Reed Lake
In spring, chinook salmon run shallow here, mostly 5 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 14 to 45 ft, and winter fish settle into 14 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 45 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 9 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Coho Salmon fishing at Reed Lake
Spring coho salmon on Reed Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 14 to 45 ft, and winter fish settle into 14 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 45 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Yellow Perch fishing at Reed Lake
Spring yellow perch on Reed Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 9 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Reed Lake also holds northern pike (8 to 20 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), burbot (14 to 45 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 45 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 21 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Reed Lake?
Reed Lake is about 45 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 Reed Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, chinook salmon, coho salmon, brown trout, brook trout, burbot, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Reed Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Where is the best fishing spot on Reed Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 45 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Reed Lake?
For brook trout, 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
Rainbow Lake · Orchard Lake · Cecilia Lake · Gifford Lake · Big Star Lake · Pere Marquette River
See how Reed Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best crappie 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.