Help With This Lake (Map)

[dman]

I need some help with this place in PA...I can catch the smaller ones but the big bite just never happens and i know they are in there..... This is the southern end where the deeper water is, up north it is all shallow - 4 to 6 ' range. Pretty small lake, 600 acres give or take. Water temp on this end is sowing in the low 80's. Consists of Largemouth. Bluegill, perch, golden shiner, pickeral and Bullhead.

Where would you go and what would you throw ?

[A-Rob]

I'd start at the bays in the top right and top left.

Is this a grass lake? You may get into a couple in shallower grass morning/evening but Id bet the bigger fish would be where the bay drops down to 10+ feet. Maybe try starting shallow and work your way out.

David Walker said if your lakes max depth is 30 feet (using your lake as an example) the bass won't be at the max depth...so shallower than 30 feet. I bet 8-15' maybe? The bays give you a starting point b/c you would assume they spawned there and then dropped towards the deeper contours with the warmer weather post spawn.

My lake is all grass so I'd be throwing a texas rigged worm thru the deeper grass a lot of the time.

Good luck dude!

[scrutch]

I like that point off the island top left. It drops into 30 fow and is close to grass.

["Lunker Hunter"]

It looks like two islands one large to the left and a tiny one to the right. This time of year I would set up off the islands towards deeper water and just outside the weed line, use deep diving cranks and Carolina rig to comb the bottom.

[garland7]

I would fish any of the places around points that are near the deeper water, and have some sort of cover/structure on them. Any type of current in the lake?

[mikey5string]

Not trying to be smart but can you read a topo map? If you can and you know what to look for, you wont have to ask anyone. Its not difficult and you could probably find a site that explains it in depth.

Id hit the drop offs or sharp increases in depth. On a topo map you will see several contour lines close together. These spots give bass access to shallow and deep water and often are rocky with overhangs and ledges for them to tuck up under and ambush. Something slowly fluttering down right in front of them might work, or something hopping/crawling down the slope. Maybe even a bait fish or two swimming parallel to the shore.

Points are just that. Points that extend out into the lake like a peninsula. Imagine they keep going underwater. They will have deeper water on either side. Bass like to hold in these areas and ambush prey. If there is wind, fish the side that would be sheltered from the current caused by the wind. Think of things getting blown across that point right into the trap. You can also fan cast and fish the whole thing starting out further and working your way in.

Look for ANY anomalies like submerged islands or holes...basically anything that differs from flat unchanging depth areas. BUT I would say that what you CAN see is most important. Structure and cover close to shore will hold bass. If you can find cover like pads/weeds/trees in an area that looks good on the topo than FISH THERE ; )

A large flat might not look impressive on a map but if it is loaded with baitfish and cover, it can hold BIG fish.

[Lund Explorer]

IMO it's time for you to head into deeper water.

My favorite summer fishing takes place along the deep weedline, which in this area is normally around 16'. I will put the nose of the boat right on that weedline and travel along it pitching T-Rig Worms or a Jig/Trailer Combo to it. These deep weedlines are never straight line affairs, so I look for small indentations or points. These areas provide good ambush points for bass to sit along waiting for prey to swim along. Another really great spot are inside turns, which in my mind is a spot where prey fish will jumble up before making the turn.

From looking at the map you provided, I see several of these inside turns. One is located at the 3 O'Clock position and the other is at 11 O'Clock. The first inside turn looks like a prime area as it has a large shallower flat close to it. I would think that the bass could move up onto this flat during low light periods and then retreat to holding or ambush points within the deeper weedline. The other inside turn at the 11 O'Clock position has a nice steep drop off to it, but it doesn't provide a feeding shelf of shallower water near it.

I also like the look of the deep slot between the two islands in the lower right hand corner of the map. Wind blowing through or around these islands may create current within this slot that could turn on daytime fish.

A day on your lake would find me doing what I do on the lakes around here. Start the morning throwing topwaters over the tops of the flats and then dropping back to the deeper weedline moving slow and deliberately with vertical presentations. If a good wind picked up, I'd think about moving to that slot and covering a lot of water with a crankbait or spinnerbait.

[Nitrofreak]

Since you say the water temps are showing you they are in the low 80's I assume you are fishing from a boat.

I like the southern end of the map and would be fishing 15 to 20 feet deep where the contour lines tighten up.

If you are fishing from a boat, I would use a more vertical presentation, I like the twin tail hoola grub.