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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
38-acre lake near Baraga County. The lake tops out around 22 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 40 acres wrapped in 1.3 miles of bank. With a 1.5 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Roughly 80% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.6 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. Baraga County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Alice, is 10 mi to the southeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 7 to 22 ft, wintering in 7 to 22 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 22 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning. 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 (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 15 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 22 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 15 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: rock bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 22 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 15 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Come spring, look for brown bullhead tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 22 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) |
Spring puts lake sturgeon in skinny water — 3 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 7 to 22 ft, wintering in 7 to 22 ft. Fall lake sturgeon concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 22 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dusk & night | open water | |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) |
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 22 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Roland Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Roland Lake is about 22 ft (7 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, rock bass, brown bullhead, lake sturgeon on Roland 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.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Roland 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.
Lake Alice 10 mi · Lake Arfelin 14 mi · Craig Lake 15 mi · Hasseib Lake 15 mi · Lake Keewaydin 15 mi · Little White Goat Lake 16 mi · Van Riper Lake (NW) 17 mi · Van Riper Lakes (west) 17 mi · Lake Superior - Keweenaw Peninsula 18 mi · Ruth Lake 18 mi · part of Plumbago Creek Lake 19 mi · Coon Lake 19 mi
See how Roland Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan · best rock bass lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Baraga County fishing maps (15 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.