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5,101-acre lake near Mackinac County. The lake tops out around 29 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's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 4,518 acres of water rimmed by 14 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. About 72% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 4.4 mi with a 2.7-mi widest point. You'll find it in Mackinac County. The nearest mapped water is Manistique Lake, 4 mi to the north.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 9 to 29 ft for winter. The spot to know is Weed flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 9 to 29 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 29 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 19 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Weed flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 29 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 27 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 9 to 29 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Weed flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn | Deep basin (27 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (27 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 29 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 29 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 19 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 29 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (27 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
South Manistique Lake also holds northern pike (8 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
13 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 27 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Michigan DNR — Michigan Boating Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 27 | Walleye | 1,999,900 | ~0.9" |
Source: Michigan DNR fish-stocking database, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to South Manistique Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
South Manistique Lake is about 29 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, walleye, northern pike on South Manistique Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Weed flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Yes — per Michigan DNR fish-stocking database records, South Manistique Lake was most recently stocked May 27 with 1,999,900 walleye. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on South Manistique Lake is regulated by the Michigan DNR. Check the official Michigan regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Manistique Lake 4 mi · Tee Lake 6 mi · Kennedy Lake 6 mi · Stewart Lake 6 mi · Ford Lake 7 mi · Milakokia Lake 7 mi · North Manistique Lake 8 mi · Mezik Lake 10 mi · East Lake 10 mi · Cedar Lake 11 mi · Fox River 12 mi · Millecoquins Lake 12 mi
See how South Manistique Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best walleye lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Mackinac County fishing maps (16 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.