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Fishing Etra Lake: what the data says
13-acre lake near Etra. The lake tops out around 7 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Etra Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Etra Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Etra Lake
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 1 to 7 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 7 ft, rated good for winter chain pickerel. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Etra Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 7 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for winter brown bullhead. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday |
Common Carp fishing at Etra Lake
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 1 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 7 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Etra Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 2 to 7 ft, and by winter most fish are in 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 7 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 7 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Etra Lake?
Etra Lake is about 7 ft (2 m) deep 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 Etra Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, common carp, chain pickerel, brown bullhead on Etra Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Etra Lake?
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Etra Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Mercer County Park Lake · East Brunswick Community Park Lake · Duhernal Lake · Lake Topanemus · Big Pine Lake · Raritan River
See how Etra Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best bluegill lakes in New Jersey · best common carp lakes in New Jersey · best chain pickerel lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.