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Fishing Torch Lake: what the data says
18,727-acre lake near Bellaire. The lake tops out around 250 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.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Torch Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| 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 | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Torch Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Yellow Perch fishing at Torch Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Weed flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| 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) |
Lake Trout fishing at Torch Lake
Spring lake trout on Torch Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for spring lake trout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Landlocked Salmon fishing at Torch Lake
Start shallow in spring: landlocked salmon sit in 1 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 11 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 250 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 177 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 60 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 30 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 3 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Torch Lake?
Torch Lake is about 250 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 Torch Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch, lake trout, landlocked salmon on Torch Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Torch Lake?
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Torch Lake?
For rainbow 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
Birch Lake · Bellaire, Lake · Intermediate Lake · Elk Lake · Wilson Lake · Skegemog, Lake
See how Torch Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best rainbow trout lakes in Michigan · best yellow perch lakes in Michigan · best lake trout 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.