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Fishing Van Riper Lake (NW): what the data says
26-acre lake near Marquette County. The lake tops out around 15 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Walleye fishing at Van Riper Lake (NW)
Spring walleye on Van Riper Lake (NW) hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Van Riper Lake (NW)
Spring yellow perch on Van Riper Lake (NW) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. 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 | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Van Riper Lake (NW)
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for fall northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Van Riper Lake (NW)
Spring smallmouth bass on Van Riper Lake (NW) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 4 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Van Riper Lake (NW)
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 3 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at Van Riper Lake (NW)
Start shallow in spring: rock bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Van Riper Lake (NW) also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 4 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Van Riper Lake (NW)?
Van Riper Lake (NW) is about 15 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 Van Riper Lake (NW)?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Van Riper Lake (NW). 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 Van Riper Lake (NW)?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Van Riper Lake (NW)?
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.
Nearby waters
Van Riper Lakes (west) · Hasseib Lake · Clear Lake · Arfelin, Lake · Little White Goat Lake · Log Lake
See how Van Riper Lake (NW) 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
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.