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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
455-acre lake near Santa Clara. The lake tops out around 60 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency 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 459 acres, worked by 6.4 miles of shoreline — one island included. A middling shoreline index (2.1) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. About 46% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.6 mi with a 1-mi widest point. Franklin County claims this one. Green Pond sits 1 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Hoel Pond hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 15 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in 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 | Secondary point (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Summer is an 18 to 60 ft game here, winter a 15 to 60 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 60 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 18 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (60 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (60 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Back-bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. 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 | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (60 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring brown bullhead on Hoel Pond hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (60 ft) |
Spring puts lake whitefish in skinny water — 15 to 45 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 18 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 18 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 60 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 18 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (60 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 18 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (60 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Hoel Pond also holds cisco (lake herring) (18 to 60 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 60 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2025* | Landlocked Salmon | 520 | ~6.45" |
| April 2025* | Lake Trout | 950 | ~6" |
| June 2024* | Landlocked Salmon | 4,000 | ~1.5" |
| April 2024* | Lake Trout | 780 | ~7" |
| April 2024* | Landlocked Salmon | 500 | ~7" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: NYSDEC fish-stocking lists, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Hoel Pond specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Hoel Pond is about 60 ft (18 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, lake trout, yellow perch, brown bullhead, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed on Hoel Pond.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 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.
Yes — per NYSDEC fish-stocking lists records, Hoel Pond was most recently stocked April 2025 with 520 landlocked salmon. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Hoel Pond is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Green Pond 1 mi · Polliwog Pond 1 mi · St. Regis Pond 2 mi · Long Pond 3 mi · Whey Pond 4 mi · Rollins Pond 4 mi · Upper Saranac Lake 5 mi · Lake Clear 5 mi · Spitfire Lake 6 mi · Weller Pond 6 mi · Lower St. Regis Lake 6 mi · Middle Saranac Lake 7 mi
See how Hoel Pond stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best yellow perch lakes in New York · best lake trout lakes in New York
More water nearby: Franklin County fishing maps (9 charts). Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.