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Fishing Ashokan Reservoir: what the data says
8,315-acre reservoir near Olive. The lake tops out around 172 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Ashokan Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Ashokan Reservoir
Spring smallmouth bass on Ashokan Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Secondary point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Yellow Perch fishing at Ashokan Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 85 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 64 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 23 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 22 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 18 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 17 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 6 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Ashokan Reservoir?
Ashokan Reservoir is about 172 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Ashokan Reservoir?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Ashokan Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Ashokan Reservoir?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Ashokan Reservoir?
For rainbow 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.
Nearby waters
Honk Lake · Rondout Reservoir · Schoharie Reservoir · Neversink Reservoir · Stillwater Pond · Boyd Corners Reservoir
See how Ashokan Reservoir stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best rainbow trout lakes in New York · best yellow perch lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.