Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Smith Lake

In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 80 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 90 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.

Walleye fishing at Smith Lake

In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.

Yellow Perch fishing at Smith Lake

Spring yellow perch on Smith 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 6 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.

Northern Pike fishing at Smith Lake

Spring northern pike on Smith Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Smith Lake

Spring smallmouth bass on Smith Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. 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.

Rock Bass fishing at Smith Lake

In spring, rock bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 27 ft, rated good for fall rock bass. Plan around the evening in the warm months. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.

How deep is Smith Lake?

Smith Lake is about 106 ft 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.

What fish are in Smith Lake?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), brown bullhead on Smith Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Smith Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 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 Smith Lake?

For cisco (lake herring), 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.