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136-acre lake near Pharsalia. The lake tops out around 10 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 144 acres, worked by 2.4 miles of shoreline. With a 1.5 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Figure 0.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.5 mi at the beam. Round Pond sits 11 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 10 ft covers summer, 3 to 10 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 10 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Balsam Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Balsam Lake is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch on Balsam Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 Balsam Lake is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Round Pond 11 mi · Chenango Lake 16 mi · Whitney Point Reservoir 17 mi · Lebanon Reservoir 19 mi · DeRuyter Reservoir 19 mi · Eaton Brook Reservoir 21 mi · Tuscarora Lake 22 mi · Little York Lake 23 mi · Tully Lake 25 mi · Dryden Lake 27 mi · Cazenovia Lake 28 mi · Lake Como 29 mi
See how Balsam Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best yellow perch lakes in New York · best chain pickerel lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.