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Fishing Dunham Reservoir: what the data says
98-acre lake near Grafton. The lake tops out around 30 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Dunham Reservoir
Spring smallmouth bass on Dunham Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Secondary point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Walleye fishing at Dunham Reservoir
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 9 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 30 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Dunham Reservoir
Spring largemouth bass on Dunham Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 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 | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Dunham Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Crappie fishing at Dunham Reservoir
Spring crappie on Dunham Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at Dunham Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: rock bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for summer rock bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Dunham Reservoir also holds chain pickerel (3 to 15 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Dunham Reservoir?
Dunham Reservoir is about 30 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 Dunham Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, chain pickerel, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Dunham Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Dunham Reservoir?
Secondary point is the top-rated area: a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Dunham Reservoir?
For smallmouth 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
Crooked Lake · Snyders Lake · Lake Lauderdale · Kinderhook Lake · Saratoga Lake · Cossayuna Lake
See how Dunham Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best crappie lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.