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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
15-acre lake near Southesk Parish. Government of New Brunswick lake depth survey. The lake tops out around 26 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, Estey Lake draws 15 acres inside 0.6 miles of shoreline. Its 1.1 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 26% of this chart, as modeled. The water lies in Northumberland County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Shaddick Lake, 4 mi northeast of here.
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 26.2 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 26.2 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall 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 (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 26.2 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 26.2 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring chain pickerel on Estey Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 12 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 26.2 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 26.2 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 22 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 | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 26.2 ft | dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 26.2 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 26.2 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brook trout in 2 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 26.2 ft before dropping to 3 to 20 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 26.2 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white perch in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 26.2 ft before dropping to 8 to 26.2 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for white perch in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 8 to 26.2 ft | dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 26.2 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 26.2 ft | dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
The chart marks 3 structure features on Estey Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 22 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Brunswick waters are set by the New Brunswick fishing rules — and special regulations can apply to Estey Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Brunswick fishing regulations →
Estey Lake is about 26.2 ft (8 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 smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, brook trout, white perch on Estey 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.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. 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 Estey Lake is regulated by the New Brunswick fishing rules. Check the official New Brunswick regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Shaddick Lake 4 mi · Peabody Lake 13 mi · Crocker Lake 14 mi · South Little River Lake 17 mi · Clearwater Lake 18 mi · Mullin Stream Lake 19 mi · North Little River Lake 19 mi · Chatham Reservoir 20 mi · Whitney Pond 20 mi · Guagus Lake 21 mi · Tomogonops Lake 21 mi · Neds Lake 21 mi
See how Estey Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New Brunswick · best yellow perch lakes in New Brunswick · best brook trout lakes in New Brunswick · best chain pickerel lakes in New Brunswick
More water nearby: Northumberland County fishing maps (67 charts). Browse all New Brunswick 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.