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Fishing Thirteenmile Lake: what the data says
25-acre lake near Houghton County. The lake tops out around 36 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Brook Trout fishing at Thirteenmile Lake
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| 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 Thirteenmile Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Thirteenmile Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 36 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 29 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| 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 | 7 to 36 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Thirteenmile Lake
Spring brown trout on Thirteenmile Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 11 to 36 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 29 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| 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 | 11 to 36 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) |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Thirteenmile Lake
Spring cisco (lake herring) on Thirteenmile Lake hold shallow, usually 9 to 36 ft. Summer fish stay in 11 to 36 ft, and winter fish hold in 11 to 36 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 29 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 9 to 36 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 11 to 36 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Sauger fishing at Thirteenmile Lake
In spring, sauger run shallow here, mostly 4 to 18 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 36 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 29 ft, rated prime for winter sauger. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft | dusk | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Thirteenmile Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Best bite is early morning. 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 | 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) |
Thirteenmile Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 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), burbot (11 to 36 ft in summer), lake sturgeon (11 to 36 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 29 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Thirteenmile Lake?
Thirteenmile Lake is about 36 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 Thirteenmile Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sauger, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, brown trout, brook trout, burbot, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, lake sturgeon on Thirteenmile 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 Thirteenmile Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Thirteenmile 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
Perrault, Lake · Toivola Lake (West) · Gerald, Lake · Roland, Lake · Emily Lake · Pike Lake
See how Thirteenmile Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best sauger lakes in Michigan · best crappie 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.