Smallmouth Bass fishing at Fontana Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Offshore hump: a offshore hump around 13.034956650005242 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Fontana Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Spotted Bass fishing at Fontana Lake

In spring, spotted bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 50 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 28.908605398375066 ft, rated prime for winter spotted bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot over brush or a underspin + fluke (schoolers) and you're in the game.

Walleye fishing at Fontana Lake

In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.

Muskellunge fishing at Fontana Lake

Spring muskellunge on Fontana Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 28.908605398375066 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.

Crappie fishing at Fontana Lake

Spring crappie on Fontana Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

How deep is Fontana Lake?

Fontana Lake is about 440 ft (134 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Fontana Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, muskellunge, spotted bass on Fontana Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Fontana Lake?

Offshore hump is the top-rated area: a offshore hump in about 13.034956650005242 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Fontana Lake?

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.