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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
13-acre lake near Browns Mills. The lake tops out around 7 ft. The depth chart comes from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 13 acres wrapped in 1.2 miles of bank. An index of 2.4 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.5 mi. It sits in Burlington County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Pemberton, is 5 mi to the west.
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 1 to 7 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 7 ft, winter 2 to 7 ft. 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 early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: chain pickerel in 1 to 7 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 7 ft through summer, 2 to 7 ft in winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
When the water first warms, brown bullhead slide up into 2 to 7 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 7 ft, winter 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 7 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 2 to 7 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 7 ft covers summer, 2 to 7 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season common carp use the shallows, holding in 1 to 7 ft. Even in summer they hold at 1 to 7 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 7 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 7 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 7 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 7 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Big Pine Lake also holds bluegill (2 to 7 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 5 structure features on Big Pine Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 7 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Jersey waters are set by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Big Pine Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Jersey fishing regulations →
Big Pine Lake is about 7 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, yellow perch, common carp, crappie, bluegill on Big Pine Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Big Pine Lake is regulated by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife. Check the official New Jersey regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Pemberton 5 mi · Etra Lake 19 mi · Mercer County Park Lake 20 mi · Barnegat Bay 24 mi · Lake Topanemus 25 mi · Lake Absegami 26 mi · Hammonton Lake 27 mi · Newton Lake 28 mi · Manasquan River 29 mi · Pohatcong Lake 29 mi · Grenloch Lake 29 mi · East Brunswick Community Park Lake 30 mi
See how Big Pine Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best crappie lakes in New Jersey · best bluegill lakes in New Jersey · best yellow perch lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Depth data: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Lake survey maps. 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.