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Fishing Big Break: what the data says
1,648-acre lake near Oakley. The lake tops out around 20 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.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Big Break
Spring largemouth bass on Big Break hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Striped Bass fishing at Big Break
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer fish stay in 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 20 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for summer striped bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Big Break
Spring bluegill on Big Break hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Big Break
Spring channel catfish on Big Break hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 16 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Big Break?
Big Break is about 20 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 Big Break?
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, striped bass on Big Break.
Where is the best fishing spot on Big Break?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Big Break?
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.
Nearby waters
Franks Tract · Clifton Court Forebay · Bethany Reservoir · Suisun Bay · Lake Del Valle · American River (Lower)
See how Big Break stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in California · best bluegill lakes in California · best channel catfish lakes in California · best striped bass lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.