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Fishing Van Riper Lakes (west): what the data says
55-acre lake near Marquette County. The lake tops out around 34 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Brook Trout fishing at Van Riper Lakes (west)
Spring brook trout on Van Riper Lakes (west) hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.
| 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 |
Brown Trout fishing at Van Riper Lakes (west)
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 34 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 34 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Best bite is after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| 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 | 10 to 34 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 34 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Van Riper Lakes (west)
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 9 to 34 ft. Summer fish stay in 10 to 34 ft, and winter fish hold in 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. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 9 to 34 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 10 to 34 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Walleye fishing at Van Riper Lakes (west)
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 34 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 34 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Van Riper Lakes (west)
Spring yellow perch on Van Riper Lakes (west) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 34 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 33 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| 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 | 10 to 34 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Van Riper Lakes (west)
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | 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.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 33 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Van Riper Lakes (west)?
Van Riper Lakes (west) is about 34 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 Lakes (west)?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, brown trout, brook trout, burbot, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead 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.
Where is the best fishing spot on Van Riper Lakes (west)?
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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Van Riper Lakes (west)?
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
Van Riper Lake (NW) · Hasseib Lake · Clear Lake · Arfelin, Lake · Little White Goat Lake · Log Lake
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
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.