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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
14-acre lake in Washburn County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 26 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Sawmill Lake maps at 14 acres behind 0.7 miles of shoreline. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 43% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.3 mi. Washburn County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Camp Lake, is 0 mi to the west.
Spring rainbow trout on Sawmill Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 7 to 26 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 26 ft. Put Shoreline break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 12 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 26 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 26 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 26 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 26 ft, wintering in 8 to 26 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. 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 (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 26 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 Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 26 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 texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 26 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 22 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shoreline break (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Sawmill Lake also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 22 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Sawmill Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Sawmill Lake is about 26 ft (8 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 rainbow trout, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Sawmill 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. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For rainbow 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.
Fishing on Sawmill 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.
Camp Lake 0 mi · Beartrap Lake 0 mi · Otter Lake 0 mi · Mallard Lake 0 mi · Deep Lake 1 mi · Telstar Lake 1 mi · Wolf Lake 1 mi · Pine Island Lake 1 mi · Loyhead Lake 1 mi · County Line Lake 1 mi · Scoot Lake 1 mi · Superior Lake 1 mi
See how Sawmill Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Washburn County fishing maps (210 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.