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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
1,615-acre lake in Jackson County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 45 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn outline gives you 21.5 miles of bank to pick apart. With a shoreline index of 4.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 73% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.8 mi with a 2.5-mi widest point. The water lies in Jackson County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Little Grassy Lake, 8 mi east of here.
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 38 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 38 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season striped bass use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 14 to 45 ft, then a winter hold in 14 to 45 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 38 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 38 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Cedar Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Cedar Lake is about 45 ft (14 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, striped bass on Cedar Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For bluegill, 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 Cedar Lake is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Little Grassy Lake 8 mi · Devils Kitchen Lake 11 mi · Lake Murphysboro 12 mi · Crab Orchard Lake 13 mi · Kinkaid Lake 16 mi · Dutchman Lake 22 mi · Rend Lake 38 mi · Lake Girardeau 39 mi, MO · General Watkins Conservation Area 43 mi, MO · Washington County Lake 45 mi · Robert G. Delaney Lake Conservation Area 47 mi, MO · Baldwin Lake 52 mi
See how Cedar Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.