Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
13-acre lake near Etra. The lake tops out around 7 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 13 acres of water rimmed by 0.7 miles of bank. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. The water lies in Mercer County. The nearest mapped water is Mercer County Park Lake, 7 mi to the west.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 1 to 7 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 7 ft through summer, 2 to 7 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 4 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, chain pickerel slide up into 1 to 7 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 7 ft, winter 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 7 ft that scores good in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 7 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 7 ft, and they winter in 2 to 7 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for winter brown bullhead. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | dusk & night | open water | |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 1 to 7 ft is the zone. 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 prime for winter common carp. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish settle into 2 to 7 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for winter bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | open water | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
2 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 7 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Jersey waters are set by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Etra Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Jersey fishing regulations →
Etra Lake is about 7 ft (2 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 largemouth bass, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, common carp, bluegill 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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Etra Lake is regulated by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife. Check the official New Jersey regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Mercer County Park Lake 7 mi · East Brunswick Community Park Lake 11 mi · Lake Topanemus 12 mi · Duhernal Lake 12 mi · South River 15 mi · Big Pine Lake 19 mi · Raritan River 19 mi · Lake Pemberton 22 mi · Deal Lake 26 mi · Manasquan River 26 mi · Sylvan Lake 26 mi · Echo Lake 30 mi
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 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.