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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
175-acre lake near Cottonwood Falls. Flint Hills state fishing lake from KDWP's bathymetric map collection. The lake tops out around 36 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 outline gives you 3.2 miles of bank to pick apart. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.2) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 46% of this chart. Call it 1 mi long by 0.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Chase County. For a second option, Cottonwood River lies 3 mi south.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| 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 (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 11 to 36 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 36 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 36 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| 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 (9 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season saugeye use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 22 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 30 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 15 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (8 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 36 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Chase County State Fishing Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Chase County State Fishing Lake is about 36 ft (11 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 largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, saugeye on Chase County State Fishing 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Chase County State Fishing 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.
Cottonwood River 3 mi · Council Grove City Lake 21 mi · Council Grove Lake 24 mi · Marion Lake 30 mi · Madison City Lake 30 mi · Herington Reservoir 30 mi · El Dorado Lake 35 mi · Eureka Lake 36 mi · Wabaunsee County Lake 40 mi · John Redmond Lake 43 mi · Osage City Reservoir 44 mi · Neosho River 45 mi
See how Chase County State Fishing Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kansas · best saugeye lakes in Kansas · best crappie lakes in Kansas · best bluegill lakes in Kansas
Browse all Kansas 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.