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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
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658-acre lake near Harveys Lake. The largest natural lake by volume in Pennsylvania, a deep glacial lake near Wilkes-Barre with smallmouth, walleye and stocked lake trout. The lake tops out around 104 ft. The depth chart comes from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources 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.
The outline encloses 639 acres, worked by 10 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 2.8, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 21% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 2.2 mi end to end and 1.6 mi across at its widest. Luzerne County claims this one. Lehigh River sits 35 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 35 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | open water | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for lake trout tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 31 to 104 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. Best bite is early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 31 to 104 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | open water | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | open water | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rock bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 20 ft before dropping to 12 to 30 ft for winter. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | open water | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | open water | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Count 7 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 100 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Pennsylvania waters are set by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission — and special regulations can apply to Harveys Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Pennsylvania fishing regulations →
Harveys Lake is about 104 ft (32 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, lake trout, yellow perch, rock bass on Harveys 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.
Fishing on Harveys Lake is regulated by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. Check the official Pennsylvania regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lehigh River 35 mi · Lake Wallenpaupack 41 mi · Beltzville Lake 42 mi · Lake Nephawin 45 mi · Rose Valley Lake 49 mi · Starlight Lake 52 mi · Laurel Lake 52 mi · Delaware River (Upper) 56 mi, NY/PA · Lake Huntington 59 mi, NY · Delaware Lake 59 mi, NJ · Cedar Lake 62 mi, NJ · Highland Lake 63 mi, NY
See how Harveys Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Pennsylvania · best smallmouth bass lakes in Pennsylvania · best walleye lakes in Pennsylvania · best yellow perch lakes in Pennsylvania
Browse all Pennsylvania fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Depth data: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Map 25-01.0 Harveys Lake native survey-derived contour lines and lake polygon. 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.