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1,300-acre reservoir in Delaware. The lake tops out around 33 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.
Traced from the shoreline, Delaware Lake runs 1,154 acres with 26.4 miles of edge. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 5.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 86% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 5.7 mi end to end and 1.5 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Delaware County. The nearest mapped water is Alum Creek Lake, 11 mi to the southeast.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 33 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (7 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 10 to 33 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 22 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (7 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (7 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (7 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 33 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Olentangy River inflow (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) |
Come spring, look for saugeye tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 22 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Olentangy River inflow (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Delaware Lake carries 10 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 22 ft down.
Access data: Ohio DNR — Boater & Stream Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ohio waters are set by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Delaware Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Delaware Lake is about 33 ft (10 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, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, saugeye on Delaware Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
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.
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 Delaware Lake is regulated by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife. Check the official Ohio regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Alum Creek Lake 11 mi · O'Shaughnessy Reservoir 14 mi · Mount Gilead Lake 16 mi · Olentangy River 17 mi · Hoover Reservoir 19 mi · Antrim Lake 22 mi · Griggs Reservoir 24 mi · Amick Reservoir 24 mi · Powers Reservoir 26 mi · Kokosing Lake 26 mi · Bucyrus Reservoir #2 30 mi · Knox Lake 30 mi
See how Delaware Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best saugeye lakes in Ohio · best crappie lakes in Ohio · best bluegill lakes in Ohio
More water nearby: Delaware County fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all Ohio 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.