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Fishing Silver Lake: what the data says
46-acre lake near Cheboygan County. The lake tops out around 91 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.
Brook Trout fishing at Silver Lake
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for spring brook trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm and you're in the game.
| 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 Silver Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Silver Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 Silver Lake
Spring brown trout on Silver Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 52 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| 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 | 25 to 60 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) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Silver Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 12 ft that scores prime 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) |
Northern Pike fishing at Silver Lake
Spring northern pike on Silver Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Silver Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Silver Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Silver Lake also holds largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 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), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 87 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 52 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 13 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 9 ft
Common questions
How deep is Silver Lake?
Silver Lake is about 91 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 Silver Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, longnose gar, brown trout, brook trout, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Silver 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 Silver Lake?
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Silver 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
Lance Lake · Weber Lake · Hackett Lake · Pickerel Lake · Roberts Lake · Thumb, Lake
See how Silver Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike 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.