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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
33-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 40 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 33 acres, worked by 1.2 miles of shoreline. With a 1.6 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Roughly 41% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.5 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. Vilas County claims this one. Sugar Maple Lake sits 1 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring brook trout on Afterglow Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 18 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 40 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 34 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Afterglow Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Afterglow Lake is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target brook trout, smallmouth bass on Afterglow Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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.
Fishing on Afterglow Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Sugar Maple Lake 1 mi · Noseeum Lake 2 mi · Potfish Lake 2 mi · Goodall Lake 2 mi · Muskeg Lake 3 mi · North Twin Lake 3 mi · Long Lake 3 mi · Norwood Lake 4 mi, WI/MI · Ellen Lake 4 mi · Lac Vieux Desert Lake 4 mi, MI/WI · Manuel Lake 4 mi · Kildare Lake 4 mi
See how Afterglow Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best brook trout lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Vilas County fishing maps (507 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.