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917-acre lake near Jackson County. The lake tops out around 42 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.
There are 6 miles of drawn shoreline to work. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.8) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 55% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 2.1 mi, about 1 mi across. The water lies in Jackson County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Stony Lake, 1 mi southeast of here.
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 42 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (42 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (42 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (42 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (42 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for summer muskellunge. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (42 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 13 to 42 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 42 ft of water that rates good for smallmouth bass in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 13 to 42 ft | midday | Deep basin (42 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (1 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Vineyard Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 42 ft.
Access data: Michigan DNR — Michigan Boating Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Vineyard Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Vineyard Lake is about 42 ft (13 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Vineyard Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 42 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Vineyard Lake 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.
Stony Lake 1 mi · Wolf Lake 2 mi · Washington Lake 2 mi · Allen Lake 2 mi · Meadow Lake 3 mi · Wamplers Lake 3 mi · Kelly Lake 3 mi · Killarney Lake 3 mi · Onemile Lake 4 mi · Dewey Lake 4 mi · Round Lake 4 mi · Sand Lake 5 mi
See how Vineyard Lake 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: Jackson County fishing maps (29 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.