Coldwater Lake fishing: Northern Pike, Walleye, Cisco

Target species: Northern Pike, Walleye, Cisco

The lake

Coldwater Lake covers 294 acres in Michigan, across Isabella County. It is a lake: 92.8% of it is 55 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 65 feet (19.8 m). Our records hold 4 species for this water.

On the shore of Coldwater Lake, Coldwater, Michigan (68046).jpg
Tichnor Brothers, Publisher · Public domain

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 65 ft (19.8 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 92.8% of the water is 55 feet or shallower. We hold 37 depth contour lines for this water.

Indian Point, Coldwater Lake, Coldwater, Michigan (68045).jpg
Tichnor Brothers, Publisher · Public domain
  • 0–5 ft: 2.1% of the water
  • 5–10 ft: 9.6% of the water
  • 10–15 ft: 10.2% of the water
  • 15–20 ft: 9.4% of the water
  • 20–25 ft: 6.7% of the water
  • 25–30 ft: 6.4% of the water
  • 30–35 ft: 6.4% of the water
  • 35–40 ft: 7.9% of the water
  • 40–45 ft: 15.1% of the water
  • 45–50 ft: 15.3% of the water
  • 50–55 ft: 3.7% of the water
  • 55–60 ft: 4.5% of the water
  • 60–65 ft: 2.8% of the water

3 target fish, led by Northern Pike

  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Cisco — Feeding water: 40–60°F.

Also recorded here: Gizzard Shad.

Coldwater Lake, MI.jpg
Thousandsofnematodes · CC BY-SA 4.0

Stocking: 248,982 fish, 1984–2018

Michigan DNR records list 248,982 fish released into this water from 1984 to 2018. The latest stocking on record is from 2018, more than three years ago.

  • Walleye: 242,982 in 1984–2018
  • Northern Pike: 6,000 in 1993–1995

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 6–17 feet on our readings, averaging 11.6 feet, from 81 readings. Our water temperature readings average 73°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. These readings span 2018–2023.

Where this data comes from

  • Michigan EGLE — Michigan EGLE: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.