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239-acre reservoir near Westerlo. The lake tops out around 16 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Traced from the shoreline, Basic Creek Reservoir runs 246 acres with 4.8 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 2.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 90% of this chart. Call it 1.1 mi long by 0.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. The nearest mapped water is Warners Lake, 10 mi to the north.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown bullhead in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 12 ft before dropping to 5 to 16 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in winter. 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 16 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| 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 | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 16 ft before dropping to 5 to 16 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, pumpkinseed slide up into 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 5 to 16 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Basic Creek Reservoir also holds walleye (5 to 16 ft in summer), yellow perch (5 to 16 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Basic Creek Reservoir carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 16 ft down.
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 Basic Creek Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Basic Creek Reservoir is about 16 ft (5 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 brown bullhead, bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch on Basic Creek Reservoir.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For brown bullhead, the summer bite is best in after dark 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 Basic Creek Reservoir 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.
Warners Lake 10 mi · Thompsons Lake 11 mi · Kinderhook Lake 19 mi · Snyders Lake 23 mi · Schoharie Reservoir 23 mi · Collins Lake 24 mi · Tsatsawassa Lake 25 mi · Crooked Lake 26 mi · Glass Lake 27 mi · Hudson River - Kingston to Catskill 29 mi · Queechy Lake 31 mi · Lake Taghkanic 32 mi
See how Basic Creek Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best crappie 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.