Lake depth chart
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295-acre lake near Baldwin City. Northeast Kansas state fishing lake mapped in KDWP's bathymetric lake set. The lake tops out around 36 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Shoreline on the chart totals 4.7 miles. The 2.5 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. 49% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 1 mi with a 0.7-mi widest point. Douglas County claims this one. If the bite dies, Lone Star Lake is 12 mi to the west.
Spring largemouth bass on Douglas County State Fishing Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| 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 | Break off the point (19 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (7 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Douglas County State Fishing Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 36 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 34 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 34 ft that grades prime for 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 | 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 | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, saugeye run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 22 ft before dropping to 12 to 30 ft for winter. Fall saugeye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 19 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (7 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (7 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 34 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Kansas waters are set by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Douglas County State Fishing Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Douglas County State Fishing Lake is about 36 ft (11 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, saugeye on Douglas County State Fishing Lake.
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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Douglas County State Fishing Lake is regulated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Kansas regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lone Star Lake 12 mi · Gardner City Lake 13 mi · Clinton Lake 13 mi · Hillsdale Lake 15 mi · Kansas River 16 mi · New Olathe Lake 16 mi · Miola Lake 22 mi · Leavenworth County State Fishing Lake 23 mi · Carbondale Lake 26 mi · Pomona Lake 28 mi · Lake Shawnee 29 mi · Perry Lake 31 mi
See how Douglas County State Fishing Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kansas · best saugeye lakes in Kansas · best crappie lakes in Kansas · best bluegill lakes in Kansas
Browse all Kansas fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.