Lake Whitefish fishing at Thistle Lake

Spring lake whitefish on Thistle Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 18 to 61 ft, and winter fish settle into 18 to 61 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 52 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.

Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Thistle Lake

In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 18 to 61 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 52 ft, rated prime for summer cisco (lake herring). Best bite is early morning. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.

Walleye fishing at Thistle Lake

Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Yellow Perch fishing at Thistle Lake

Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.

Northern Pike fishing at Thistle Lake

Spring northern pike on Thistle 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 Thistle Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 15 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.

How deep is Thistle Lake?

Thistle Lake is about 61 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 Thistle Lake?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring) on Thistle Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Thistle Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 52 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Thistle Lake?

For lake whitefish, 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.