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Fishing South Bar Lake: what the data says
124-acre lake near Leelanau County. The lake tops out around 13 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Walleye fishing at South Bar Lake
Spring walleye on South Bar Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 13 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at South Bar Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at South Bar Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on South Bar Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Rock Bass fishing at South Bar Lake
In spring, rock bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for summer rock bass. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
White Perch fishing at South Bar Lake
Start shallow in spring: white perch sit in 3 to 13 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 13 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for summer white perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Freshwater Drum fishing at South Bar Lake
In spring, freshwater drum run shallow here, mostly 3 to 13 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for freshwater drum in winter. Best bite is the evening. A jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dusk | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (slow) |
South Bar Lake also holds common carp (3 to 13 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is South Bar Lake?
South Bar Lake is about 13 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 South Bar Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, freshwater drum, common carp, rock bass, white perch on South Bar 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 South Bar Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish South Bar Lake?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Glen Lake · Little Platte Lake · Platte Lake · Garey Lake · Lime Lake · Crystal Lake
See how South Bar Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best walleye lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan · best freshwater drum lakes in Michigan
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