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4,500-acre lake near Dublin. A New River reservoir in the mountains near Radford. Current, bluffs and quality smallmouth, walleye and hybrid stripers. The lake tops out around 100 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Claytor Lake maps at 4,071 acres behind 81.4 miles of shoreline, broken up by 2 islands. The 9.1 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 68% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 11.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 4.7 mi at the beam. It sits in Pulaski County. Philpott Lake sits 35 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Offshore hump — offshore hump, 14 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring largemouth bass on Claytor Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| 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 | Sharp break (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Sloan Branch inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Sloan Branch inflow (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (15 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 25 to 60 ft before dropping to 20 to 50 ft for winter. Spring striped bass concentrate at Sloan Branch inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sloan Branch inflow (8 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| 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 (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Claytor Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Put Sloan Branch inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Sloan Branch inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Sloan Branch inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Sharp break (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (85 ft) |
Claytor Lake also holds white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 23 structure features on Claytor Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 85 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Virginia waters are set by the Virginia DWR — and special regulations can apply to Claytor Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Virginia fishing regulations →
Claytor Lake is about 100 ft (30 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, striped bass, crappie, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids on Claytor Lake.
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: an offshore hump in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Claytor Lake is regulated by the Virginia DWR. Check the official Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Philpott Lake 35 mi · Rural Retreat Lake 36 mi · Moncove Lake 45 mi, WV · Carvins Cove Reservoir 46 mi · Smith Mountain Lake 55 mi · Laurel Bed Lake 63 mi · Lake Stephens 63 mi, WV · New River (Gorge) 64 mi, WV · Leesville Lake 66 mi · Greenbrier River 67 mi, WV · Plum Orchard Lake 70 mi, WV · W. Kerr Scott Reservoir 72 mi, NC
See how Claytor Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Virginia · best smallmouth bass lakes in Virginia · best walleye lakes in Virginia · best crappie lakes in Virginia
Browse all Virginia 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.