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158-acre lake near Asbury Park. The lake tops out around 9 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Deal Lake runs 145 acres with 9 miles of edge. A development index of 5.3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 1.5 mi long by 1.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Monmouth County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Sylvan Lake, 3 mi south of here.
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 9 ft, and they winter in 3 to 9 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 9 ft, and they winter in 3 to 9 ft. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 7 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 9 ft before dropping to 3 to 9 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: common carp in 2 to 9 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 9 ft through summer, 3 to 9 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: muskellunge in 2 to 9 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 9 ft through summer, 3 to 9 ft in winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (2 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 9 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 9 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Deal Lake also holds yellow perch (3 to 9 ft in summer), striped bass (3 to 9 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Deal Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 7 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Jersey waters are set by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Deal Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Jersey fishing regulations →
Deal Lake is about 9 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, common carp, muskellunge, northern pike, yellow perch, striped bass on Deal Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 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 Deal Lake is regulated by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife. Check the official New Jersey regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Sylvan Lake 3 mi · Manasquan River 10 mi · Lake Topanemus 14 mi · False Hook Channel 16 mi, NY · Lower Bay 20 mi, NY · Duhernal Lake 22 mi · Rockaway Inlet 23 mi, NY · Coney Island Channel 23 mi, NY · South River 24 mi · Sheepshead Bay 24 mi, NY · Gravesend Bay 25 mi, NY · Etra Lake 26 mi
See how Deal Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best northern pike lakes in New Jersey · best bluegill lakes in New Jersey · best channel catfish lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.