Carl Albert Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (OK)

Lake depth chart

Carl Albert Lake, OK

Max 40 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Target species

Species estimated from nearby surveyed lakes. No fish-species survey is on record for this water, so these species aren't a confirmed catch list. They're an informed estimate: the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the same region, kept only where they fit this lake's depth and habitat. Treat them as what's likely present. (The depth chart itself is real surveyed bathymetry.) How we estimate species →

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Carl Albert Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Carl Albert Lake on the board.

Fishing Carl Albert Lake: what the data says

162-acre reservoir in Latimer County, Oklahoma. The lake tops out around 40 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.

The outline encloses 162 acres, worked by 3.8 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (2.1) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 41% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.8 mi, about 0.6 mi across. It sits in Latimer County. Lake Nanih Waiya sits 16 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Carl Albert Lake

Spring largemouth bass on Carl Albert Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (13 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (13 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Carl Albert Lake

Spring channel catfish on Carl Albert Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 40 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (27 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Break off the point (27 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (40 ft)

Crappie fishing at Carl Albert Lake

Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (27 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	open water	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (40 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Carl Albert Lake

Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (40 ft)	Tiny spoon

White Bass fishing at Carl Albert Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass in 2 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 13 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (13 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (13 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (13 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (40 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Flathead Catfish fishing at Carl Albert Lake

Spring flathead catfish on Carl Albert Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 40 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 20 ft	night & dusk	open water
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (27 ft)
Fall	10 to 35 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (40 ft)
Winter	12 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (40 ft)

Notable structure

Carl Albert Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 40 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 40 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 27 ft
Secondary point: point, around 15 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 13 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Carl Albert Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Oklahoma waters are set by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation — and special regulations can apply to Carl Albert Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Oklahoma fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Carl Albert Lake?

Carl Albert Lake is about 40 ft (12 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.

What fish are in Carl Albert Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, white bass, flathead catfish on Carl Albert Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.

Where is the best fishing spot on Carl Albert Lake?

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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Carl Albert 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 Carl Albert Lake?

Fishing on Carl Albert Lake is regulated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Check the official Oklahoma regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Lake Nanih Waiya 16 mi · Lloyd Church Lake 17 mi · Wister Lake 20 mi · Sardis Lake 20 mi · Cedar Lake 21 mi · Lake Wayne Wallace 22 mi · John Wells Lake 32 mi · New Spiro Lake 39 mi · Eufaula Lake 40 mi · Lake Ozzie Cobb 40 mi · Broken Bow Lake 42 mi · Schooler Lake 49 mi

See how Carl Albert Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best white bass lakes in Oklahoma · best crappie lakes in Oklahoma · best bluegill lakes in Oklahoma

Browse all Oklahoma fishing maps or 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.

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