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190-acre lake near McAdam Parish. Government of New Brunswick lake depth survey. The lake tops out around 19 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.
The outline encloses 190 acres, worked by 3 miles of shoreline. With a 1.6 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 1.3 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. If the bite dies, Wauklahegan Lake is 2 mi to the east.
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 19 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 19 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 7 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 19 ft, wintering in 6 to 19 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 18 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season brook trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 15 ft. Summer is a 6 to 19 ft game here, winter a 3 to 19 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 18 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (18 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 19 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 18 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 First Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Brunswick fishing regulations →
First Lake is about 19 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 smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, brook trout on First 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.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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 First 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.
Wauklahegan Lake 2 mi · Modsley Lake 3 mi · Thompsons Lake 4 mi · Palfrey Lake 5 mi · Fifth Lake 7 mi · Sixth Lake 8 mi · Spednic Lake 8 mi, NB/ME · Lambert Lake 8 mi, ME · La Coote Lake 12 mi · Magaguadavic Lake 13 mi · Skiff Lake 15 mi · Amelia Lake 15 mi
See how First 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
Browse all New Brunswick 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.