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18,220-acre reservoir near Smithville. The lake tops out around 190 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn water covers 15,164 acres wrapped in 275.3 miles of bank, broken up by an island. A development index of 16 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 58% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 17.3 mi long by 12 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in DeKalb County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Caney Fork River, is 15 mi to the northwest.
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. Start at Rock reef. It's a rock pile holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (39 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (39 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Summer walleye concentrate at Offshore hump, a prime-rated offshore hump around 15 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (39 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (39 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, white bass & hybrids slide up into 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Offshore hump. It's an offshore hump holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Sharp break (39 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Center Hill Lake also holds channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer), spotted bass (15 to 40 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 26 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 162 ft.
Access data: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Tennessee waters are set by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — and special regulations can apply to Center Hill Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Tennessee fishing regulations →
Center Hill Lake is about 190 ft (58 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 smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, white bass & hybrids, channel catfish, spotted bass on Center Hill Lake.
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For smallmouth 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 Center Hill Lake is regulated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Check the official Tennessee regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Caney Fork River 15 mi · Cordell Hull Lake 26 mi · Bedford County Lake 44 mi · J. Percy Priest Lake 44 mi · Normandy Lake 45 mi · Old Hickory Lake 47 mi · Dale Hollow Lake 47 mi, KY/TN · Mill Creek Lake 47 mi, KY · Woods Reservoir 50 mi · Tims Ford Lake 58 mi · Chickamauga Lake 59 mi · Obed River 60 mi
See how Center Hill Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best smallmouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best walleye lakes in Tennessee · best crappie lakes in Tennessee
Browse all Tennessee 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.