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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
12-acre lake near Alpine County. The lake tops out around 28 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 11 acres wrapped in 0.5 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.1) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 25% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. It sits in Alpine County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Scotts Lake, is 3 mi to the north.
Early season brook trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 28 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 20 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 24 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (24 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (13 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 24 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for California waters are set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Crater Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Crater Lake is about 28 ft (9 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 brook trout on Crater Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brook trout, 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 Crater Lake is regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Check the official California regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Scotts Lake 3 mi · Lost Lakes 5 mi · Lost Lakes 6 mi · Tamarack Lake 9 mi · Wet Meadows Reservoir 10 mi · American Lake 13 mi · Lake Aloha 13 mi · Lower Kinney Lake 14 mi · Kinney Lake, Upper 14 mi · Kinney Reservoir 15 mi · Heenan Lake 18 mi · Salt Springs Reservoir 19 mi
See how Crater Lake stacks up: best brook trout lakes in California
More water nearby: Alpine County fishing maps (10 charts). Browse all California 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.