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Fishing Delaware Lake: what the data says
36-acre lake near Columbia. The lake tops out around 13 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 Delaware Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Delaware Lake
Spring brown bullhead on Delaware Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for winter brown bullhead. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday |
Channel Catfish fishing at Delaware Lake
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. 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 | 4 to 13 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Delaware Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Delaware Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Delaware Lake?
Delaware Lake is about 13 ft (4 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 Delaware Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, brown bullhead on Delaware Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Delaware Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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 Delaware 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
Cedar Lake · Furnace Lake · Ghost Lake · White Lake · Deer Park Pond · Swartswood Lake
See how Delaware Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best crappie lakes in New Jersey · best bluegill lakes in New Jersey · best channel catfish lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.