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Fishing Carbondale Lake: what the data says
404-acre lake near Carbondale. Public east-central Kansas city lake with KBS surveyed bathymetric contours. The lake tops out around 25 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Carbondale Lake's chart carries 7.3 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 3.3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 75% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Carbondale Lake
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 25 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. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Carbondale Lake
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 25 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 25 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Deep basin (25 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) |
Crappie fishing at Carbondale Lake
Spring crappie on Carbondale Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 25 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| 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 | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Carbondale Lake
Spring bluegill on Carbondale Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| 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 (12 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Carbondale Lake fishing regulations
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Kansas waters are set by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Carbondale Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Carbondale Lake?
Carbondale Lake is about 25 ft (8 m) deep 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 Carbondale Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Carbondale Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Carbondale 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. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
When is the best time to fish Carbondale Lake?
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.
What are the fishing regulations for Carbondale Lake?
Fishing on Carbondale Lake is regulated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Kansas regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Nearby waters
Pomona Lake 9 mi · Lake Shawnee 13 mi · Lone Star Lake 14 mi · Clinton Lake 16 mi · Osage City Reservoir 17 mi · Melvern Lake 23 mi · Kansas River 26 mi · Douglas County State Fishing Lake 26 mi · Perry Lake 28 mi · Wabaunsee County Lake 30 mi · Leavenworth County State Fishing Lake 34 mi · Alma City Lake 35 mi
See how Carbondale Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kansas · best crappie lakes in Kansas · best bluegill lakes in Kansas · best channel catfish lakes in Kansas
Browse all Kansas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.