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2,335-acre deep gorge reservoir near Danville. Kentucky's oldest and deepest-gorge reservoir. The lake tops out around 249 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The chart traces 46 miles of shoreline here. The 8.4 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. 33% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 5.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 3.6 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Mercer County. For a second option, Kentucky River (Palisades) lies 17 mi northeast.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring crappie concentrate at Back-bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Back-bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Dix River inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Dix River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Dix River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | open water |
In spring, white bass & hybrids run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Spring white bass & hybrids concentrate at Dix River inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Dix River inflow (8 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dix River inflow (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dix River inflow (8 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | open water |
Herrington Lake also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
10 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 212 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Kentucky Fish & Wildlife — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Kentucky waters are set by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Herrington Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kentucky fishing regulations →
Herrington Lake is about 249 ft (76 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.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, common carp, flathead catfish, white bass on Herrington Lake.
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Herrington Lake is regulated by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife. Check the official Kentucky regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Kentucky River (Palisades) 17 mi · Cedar Creek Lake 21 mi · Jacobson Park Lake 22 mi · Beaver Lake 23 mi · Taylorsville Lake 33 mi · Marion County 33 mi · Elkhorn Creek 37 mi · Guist Creek Lake 40 mi · Green River Lake 46 mi · Salt River 47 mi · Corinth Lake 53 mi · Elmer Davis Lake 53 mi
See how Herrington Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kentucky · best crappie lakes in Kentucky · best bluegill lakes in Kentucky · best channel catfish lakes in Kentucky
Browse all Kentucky fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. 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.