Ardmore City Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (OK)

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Lake depth chart

Ardmore City Lake, OK

Max 30 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Ardmore City Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Ardmore City Lake on the board.

Fishing Ardmore City Lake: what the data says

159-acre reservoir in Carter County, Oklahoma. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

On the chart, Ardmore City Lake draws 159 acres inside 5.8 miles of shoreline. The 3.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 64% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 1.3 mi, about 0.6 mi across. You'll find it in Carter County. For a second option, Rock Creek Reservoir lies 3 mi northwest.

Crappie fishing at Ardmore City Lake

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 30 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (20 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (20 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	9 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (30 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Ardmore City Lake

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (20 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	9 to 30 ft	midday	Break off the point (20 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Notable structure

Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 30 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Ardmore City Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Oklahoma waters are set by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation — and special regulations can apply to Ardmore City Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Oklahoma fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Ardmore City Lake?

Ardmore City Lake is about 30 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Ardmore City Lake?

Anglers target crappie, largemouth bass on Ardmore City Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Ardmore City Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Ardmore City Lake?

For crappie, 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Ardmore City Lake?

Fishing on Ardmore City Lake is regulated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Check the official Oklahoma regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Rock Creek Reservoir 3 mi · Lake Jean Neustadt 5 mi · Lake Murray 11 mi · Mountain Lake 13 mi · Healdton City Lake 17 mi · Lake 'O' the Arbuckles 18 mi · Lake Texoma 30 mi, TX/OK · Hubert H. Moss Lake 32 mi, TX · R.C. Longmire Lake 38 mi · Lake Nocona 38 mi, TX · Muenster Lake 41 mi, TX · Duncan Lake 43 mi

See how Ardmore City Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best crappie lakes in Oklahoma

More water nearby: Carter County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all Oklahoma fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.