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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
29-acre lake in Harrison County, Indiana. The lake tops out around 6 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Traced from the shoreline, Buffalo Trace Lake runs 34 acres with 1 miles of edge. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi, about 0.2 mi across. The water lies in Harrison County. The nearest mapped water is Blue River, 7 mi to the southwest.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
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 6 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 6 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 6 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 6 ft covers summer, 2 to 6 ft covers 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. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig 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 | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 2 to 6 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around 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 6 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 6 ft covers summer, 2 to 6 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 the evening and you'll meet the bite.
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 6 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 6 ft, and they winter in 2 to 6 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
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 6 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 6 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 6 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 6 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Buffalo Trace Lake carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 6 ft down.
Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to Buffalo Trace Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
Buffalo Trace Lake is about 6 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, crappie on Buffalo Trace 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 Buffalo Trace Lake is regulated by the Indiana DNR. Check the official Indiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Blue River 7 mi · Lake Salinda 11 mi · Deam Lake 14 mi · Kiwanis Lake (Sam Peden Park) 16 mi · Elk Creek Lake 18 mi · John Hays Lake 19 mi · Schlamm Lake 20 mi · Spurgeon Hollow Lake 21 mi · Delaney County Park Lake 22 mi · Springs Valley Lake 25 mi · Ohio River - Cannelton Pool 26 mi, IN/KY · Olinger Lake 28 mi
See how Buffalo Trace Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best crappie lakes in Indiana · best bluegill lakes in Indiana · best channel catfish lakes in Indiana
Browse all Indiana fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.