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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
39-acre pond near NEW DURHAM. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn water covers 39 acres wrapped in 1 miles of bank. Its 1.1 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 0.3 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. Strafford County claims this one. If the bite dies, Marchs Pond is 0 mi to the southeast.
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 10 ft covers summer, 3 to 10 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm 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 | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 10 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
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 | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring white perch on CHALK POND (STRAFFORD) hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 10 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon.
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 | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
When the water first warms, brown bullhead slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 10 ft game here, winter a 3 to 10 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run 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 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: chain pickerel in 2 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait gets it done.
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 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
CHALK POND (STRAFFORD) carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 10 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Hampshire waters are set by the New Hampshire Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to CHALK POND (STRAFFORD) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
CHALK POND (STRAFFORD) is about 10 ft (3 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 yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, white perch, brown bullhead, chain pickerel on CHALK POND (STRAFFORD).
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on CHALK POND (STRAFFORD) is regulated by the New Hampshire Fish and Game. Check the official New Hampshire regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Marchs Pond 0 mi · Merrymeeting Lake 2 mi · Jones Dam Pond 2 mi · CLUB POND 2 mi · Marsh Pond 2 mi · DOWNING POND 3 mi · Sunrise Lake 3 mi · BEAR POND (BELKNAP) 3 mi · Gilman Pond 4 mi · Shaws Pond 5 mi · Marsh Pond (Mill Pond) 5 mi · KNIGHTS POND 6 mi
See how CHALK POND (STRAFFORD) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best yellow perch lakes in New Hampshire · best chain pickerel lakes in New Hampshire
More water nearby: Strafford County fishing maps (26 charts). Browse all New Hampshire 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.