Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
42-acre lake near Paroisse d'Addington. Government of New Brunswick lake depth survey. The lake tops out around 31 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
First Portage Lake maps at 42 acres behind 1.3 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 41% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.5 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. It sits in Restigouche County. Second Portage Lake sits 1 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring smallmouth bass on First Portage Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 31 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 11 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (21 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Break off the point (21 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 18 ft for winter. Spring chain pickerel concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 9 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 31 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (29 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (29 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (29 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 29 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (29 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (21 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
When the water first warms, white perch slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 9 to 31 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 29 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 9 to 31 ft | dawn | Deep basin (29 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (29 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | dusk | Deep basin (29 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 29 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 Portage Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Brunswick fishing regulations →
First Portage Lake is about 31 ft (9 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, white perch on First Portage 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 11 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 First Portage 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.
Second Portage Lake 1 mi · Third Portage Lake 1 mi · Upsalquitch Lake 5 mi · Teneriffe Lake 11 mi · Camp Lake 11 mi · Bathurst Lake 12 mi · Murray Lake 12 mi · Meadow Lakes 12 mi · Tongue Lake 13 mi · Island Lake 13 mi · Head Lake 14 mi · Hartts Lake 14 mi
See how First Portage 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: Restigouche County fishing maps (25 charts). 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.