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Fishing Horsepen Lake: what the data says
18-acre lake near Dillwyn. a small, intimate Buckingham County lake near Dillwyn offering laid-back bass, sunfish and catfish fishing. The lake tops out around 20 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Horsepen Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Horsepen Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Horsepen Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Horsepen Lake
Spring crappie on Horsepen Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 19 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Horsepen Lake
Spring channel catfish on Horsepen Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 19 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 19 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Horsepen Lake?
Horsepen Lake is about 20 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Horsepen Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Horsepen Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Horsepen Lake?
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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Horsepen Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Briery Creek Lake · Fluvanna Ruritan Lake · James River · Lake Nottoway · Lake Gordon · Lake Orange
See how Horsepen Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Virginia · best crappie lakes in Virginia · best bluegill lakes in Virginia · best channel catfish lakes in Virginia
Browse all Virginia fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.