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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
55-acre lake near Marquette County. The lake tops out around 34 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Van Riper Lakes (west)'s chart carries 1.3 miles of bank. Index 1.6 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. About 73% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 0.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. The water lies in Marquette County. The nearest mapped water is Van Riper Lake (NW), 1 mi to the north.
Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (33 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 10 to 34 ft game here, winter a 5 to 34 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 33 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 10 to 34 ft | night & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (13 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 34 ft | dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
When the water first warms, cisco (lake herring) slide up into 9 to 34 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 10 to 34 ft, winter 10 to 34 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 33 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 9 to 34 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (33 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 10 to 34 ft | dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 34 ft game here, winter a 10 to 34 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 33 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (13 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (13 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & night | Secondary point (13 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring yellow perch on Van Riper Lakes (west) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 34 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 33 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 10 to 34 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (13 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (13 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Secondary point (13 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Van Riper Lakes (west) 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), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), burbot (10 to 34 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 33 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Van Riper Lakes (west) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Van Riper Lakes (west) is about 34 ft (10 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target brook trout, brown trout, cisco (lake herring), walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, burbot on Van Riper Lakes (west). 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.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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.
Fishing on Van Riper Lakes (west) is regulated by the Michigan DNR. Check the official Michigan regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Van Riper Lake (NW) 1 mi · Hasseib Lake 2 mi · Clear Lake 3 mi · Little White Goat Lake 3 mi · Lake Arfelin 3 mi · Log Lake 4 mi · Lake Keewaydin 5 mi · Lake Michigamme 7 mi · Trembath Lake 7 mi · Lake Alice 8 mi · Fish Lake 8 mi · Coon Lake 8 mi
See how Van Riper Lakes (west) 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
More water nearby: Marquette County fishing maps (49 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.