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38-acre lake in Dubois County, Indiana. The lake tops out around 20 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Ferdinand State Forest Lake runs 45 acres with 1.3 miles of edge. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 88% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 0.5 mi, about 0.2 mi across. The water lies in Dubois County. The nearest mapped water is Ferdinand Old Lake, 4 mi to the southwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. 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 | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 20 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 20 ft, wintering in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 19 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) |
Ferdinand State Forest Lake carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 19 ft down.
Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to Ferdinand State Forest Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
Ferdinand State Forest Lake is about 20 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Ferdinand State Forest Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated 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 Ferdinand State Forest Lake is regulated by the Indiana DNR. Check the official Indiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Ferdinand Old Lake 4 mi · Indian Lake 8 mi · Lake Celina 10 mi · Beaver Dam Lake 10 mi · Huntingburg Lake 11 mi · Patoka Lake 13 mi · Olinger Lake 14 mi · Old Holland Lake 14 mi · New Holland Lake 14 mi · Saddle Lake 15 mi · Lincoln Lake 16 mi · Springs Valley Lake 20 mi
See how Ferdinand State Forest Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best crappie lakes in Indiana · best bluegill lakes in Indiana · best channel catfish lakes in Indiana
More water nearby: Dubois County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all Indiana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.