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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
28-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 18 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Sturgeon Lake maps at 28 acres behind 1.1 miles of shoreline. With a 1.5 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 84% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.4 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. It sits in Vilas County. Dog Lake sits 1 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 18 ft before dropping to 5 to 18 ft for winter. Fall walleye concentrate at Shoreline break, a prime-rated drop-off around 8 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & night | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 18 ft before dropping to 5 to 18 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 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.
| 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 | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 5 to 18 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run 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 | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (8 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 muskellunge tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 18 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 18 ft. Start at Shoreline break. It's a drop-off holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dusk | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 18 ft game here, winter a 5 to 18 ft one. Start at Shoreline break. It's a drop-off holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 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 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 | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (8 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 | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Sturgeon Lake also holds crappie (5 to 18 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), lake sturgeon (5 to 18 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 4 structure features on Sturgeon Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 15 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Sturgeon Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Sturgeon Lake is about 18 ft (5 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 walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, lake sturgeon on Sturgeon 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.
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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.
Fishing on Sturgeon 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.
Dog Lake 1 mi · Gem Lake 1 mi · Vance Lake 1 mi · Statehouse Lake 1 mi · Chub Lake 1 mi · McKinney Lake 1 mi · Benson Lake 1 mi · McCabe Lake 1 mi · Rest Lake 1 mi · Deerfoot Lake 1 mi · Circle Lily Lake 2 mi · Pier Lake 2 mi
See how Sturgeon Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Vilas County fishing maps (507 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.