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Fishing Clinton Lake: what the data says
284-acre reservoir near Oklahoma. The lake tops out around 22 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Clinton Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Clinton Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 22 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Clinton Lake
Spring channel catfish on Clinton Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 7 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Clinton Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 22 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 22 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Clinton Lake
Spring bluegill on Clinton Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 22 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 17 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Clinton Lake?
Clinton Lake is about 22 ft (7 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Clinton Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Clinton Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Where is the best fishing spot on Clinton 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.
When is the best time to fish Clinton Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Lake Vanderwork · Lugert-Altus Reservoir · Crowder Lake · American Horse Lake · Lake Lloyd Vincent · Lake Watonga
See how Clinton Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best crappie lakes in Oklahoma · best bluegill lakes in Oklahoma · best channel catfish lakes in Oklahoma
Browse all Oklahoma fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.