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Fishing Ross Lake: what the data says
224-acre lake near Schoolcraft County. The lake tops out around 20 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Ross Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Ross Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Bluegill fishing at Ross Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Ross Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Ross Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Back-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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Ross Lake?
Ross Lake is about 20 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 Ross Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Ross Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Ross Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Ross Lake?
For largemouth bass, 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
Nevins Lake · Gemini Lakes · Driggs Lake · Beaver Lake · Grand Sable Lake · Mitchell Lake
See how Ross Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan · best bluegill 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.