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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
674-acre lake in Whitefield and Jefferson. Depths from the 2012 Maine DEP bathymetric survey, extended with lidar shallow-water fill by the Clary Lake Association; the main basin drops to about 30 feet. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from a bathymetric survey of 2012, provided by the lake's own community organization. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 672 acres wrapped in 10.7 miles of bank. A development index of 2.9 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 64% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 2.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.2 mi at the beam. Lincoln County claims this one. If the bite dies, Damariscotta Lake is 7 mi to the southeast.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 11 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season white perch use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 9 to 30 ft game here, winter a 9 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 28 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (28 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (28 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (28 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 30 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for summer brown trout. Time it for after dark and early morning. You won't need more than a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (5 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 28 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (28 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Clary Lake also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Clary Lake carries 7 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 28 ft down.
Access data: Maine GeoLibrary — Boat Launches (Maine IF&W / DACF). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Maine waters are set by the Maine IFW — and special regulations can apply to Clary Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Clary Lake is about 30 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a bathymetric survey of 2012, provided by the lake's own community organization.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white perch, chain pickerel, brown trout, crappie, yellow perch, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed on Clary 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. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Clary Lake is regulated by the Maine IFW. Check the official Maine regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Damariscotta Lake 7 mi · Washington Pond 10 mi · Pemaquid Pond 12 mi · Webber Pond 14 mi · Seven Tree Pond 14 mi · Sennebec Pond 15 mi · China Lake 15 mi · Crawford Pond 16 mi · Upper Pleasant Pond 16 mi · St George Lake 16 mi · South Pond 16 mi · Alford Lake 17 mi
See how Clary Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Maine · best smallmouth bass lakes in Maine · best crappie lakes in Maine · best yellow perch lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine 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.