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Rating depth structure for bluegill.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
82-acre lake in Windsor County, Vermont. The lake tops out around 94 ft. The depth chart comes from Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Amherst Lake runs 80 acres with 1.9 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 30% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.8 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. You'll find it in Windsor County. The nearest mapped water is Echo Lake, 1 mi to the south.
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | open water | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts brown bullhead in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | open water | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | open water |
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 28 to 94 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 28 to 94 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | open water | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | open water | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 94 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Vermont waters are set by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Amherst Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Vermont fishing regulations →
Amherst Lake is about 94 ft (29 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target bluegill, brown bullhead, lake trout, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Amherst Lake.
For bluegill, 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 Amherst Lake is regulated by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife. Check the official Vermont regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Echo Lake 1 mi · Lake Rescue 2 mi · Lake Ninevah 3 mi · Woodward Reservoir 6 mi · Star Lake 7 mi · Spring Lake 11 mi · Stoughton Pond 13 mi · North Springfield Reservoir 14 mi · Silver Lake 17 mi · Lowell Lake 18 mi · North Hartland Reservoir 18 mi · Chittenden Reservoir 20 mi
See how Amherst Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Vermont · best bluegill lakes in Vermont · best rainbow trout lakes in Vermont · best yellow perch lakes in Vermont
More water nearby: Windsor County fishing maps (8 charts). Browse all Vermont fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation BioBase Lake Bathymetry (pool elevation at time of collection; 0% measured, 99% source-interpolated). 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.