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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
102-acre lake in Johnson County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 29 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 101 acres wrapped in 4.8 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 3.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 85% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 1.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.6 mi at the beam. It sits in Johnson County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Devils Kitchen Lake, is 13 mi to the northwest.
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (13 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 9 to 29 ft | dusk | Deep basin (25 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 9 to 29 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Break off the point (13 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 25 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Dutchman Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Dutchman Lake is about 29 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass on Dutchman Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For bluegill, 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 Dutchman Lake is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Devils Kitchen Lake 13 mi · Little Grassy Lake 15 mi · Crab Orchard Lake 18 mi · Cedar Lake 22 mi · Lake Murphysboro 32 mi · Kinkaid Lake 37 mi · Rend Lake 43 mi · Robert G. Delaney Lake Conservation Area 44 mi, MO · General Watkins Conservation Area 47 mi, MO · Nolen Blue Hole 50 mi, MO · Lake Girardeau 52 mi, MO · Mauzy Lake 59 mi, KY
See how Dutchman Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.