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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
98-acre lake near Grafton. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 100 acres of water rimmed by 3 miles of bank. An index of 2.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 54% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Call it 0.9 mi long by 0.4 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Rensselaer County. The nearest mapped water is Shaver Pond, 2 mi to the northeast.
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated good for winter smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring walleye on Dunham Reservoir hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 9 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 30 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (30 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 9 to 30 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 30 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | open water | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for rock bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 30 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | open water | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | 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.
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 30 ft.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Dunham Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Dunham Reservoir is about 30 ft (9 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 smallmouth bass, walleye, largemouth bass, yellow perch, crappie, rock bass, chain pickerel, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Dunham Reservoir.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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.
Fishing on Dunham Reservoir is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Shaver Pond 2 mi · Tomhannock Reservoir 7 mi · Glass Lake 10 mi · Snyders Lake 10 mi · Crooked Lake 10 mi · Schaghticoke Reservoir 11 mi · Tsatsawassa Lake 16 mi · Windsor Lake 20 mi, MA · Cheshire Reservoir (North Basin) 21 mi, MA · Pontoosuc Lake 21 mi, MA · Onota Lake 22 mi, MA · Saratoga Lake 23 mi
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 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.