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Fishing DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake: what the data says
120-acre lake near Sylvania. The lake tops out around 38 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake
Spring bluegill on DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. 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 | 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 | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake
Spring channel catfish on DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 11 to 38 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 36 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 36 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 36 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 23 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 19 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 13 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake?
DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake is about 38 ft 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 DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on DeKalb County Public Fishing 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.
When is the best time to fish DeKalb County Public Fishing 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 Guntersville · Madison County Public Fishing Lake · Clay County Public Fishing Lakes · Sipsey Fork · Walker County Public Fishing Lake · Chambers County Public Fishing Lake
See how DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Alabama · best crappie lakes in Alabama · best bluegill lakes in Alabama · best channel catfish lakes in Alabama
Browse all Alabama fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.