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2,578-acre lake near Whitehall. The lake tops out around 70 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
White Lake maps at 2,474 acres behind 13.9 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (2) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 47% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Call it 4.6 mi long by 1.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Muskegon County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Britton Lake, is 10 mi to the east.
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: White River inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | White River inflow (5 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 | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (45 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (45 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on White Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (70 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (11 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (70 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is White River inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 5 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | White River inflow (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (11 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (11 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (70 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: steelhead in 3 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 45 ft before dropping to 4 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is White River inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | White River inflow (5 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (45 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | White River inflow (5 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | White River inflow (5 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
White Lake also holds chinook salmon (21 to 70 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 21 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 70 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 White Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
White Lake is about 70 ft (21 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target walleye, largemouth bass, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, steelhead, chinook salmon on White Lake.
White River inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 White 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.
Britton Lake 10 mi · Twin Lake (west) 10 mi · Twin Lake (east) 11 mi · Muskegon Lake 11 mi · Stony Lake 13 mi · Lake Michigan - Michigan Central Shore 13 mi · Mona Lake 16 mi · Crystal Lake 18 mi · Martin Lake 20 mi · Silver Lake (Dunes) 20 mi · Fremont Lake 21 mi · Wyckoff Lake 22 mi
See how White Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best walleye lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan · best channel catfish lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Muskegon County fishing maps (7 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. 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.