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121-acre lake in Jackson County, Ohio. The lake tops out around 13 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's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Jackson Lake runs 142 acres with 5.6 miles of edge. An index of 3.3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 1.5 mi, about 0.5 mi across. You'll find it in Jackson County. For a second option, Tycoon Lake lies 13 mi east.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 13 ft before dropping to 4 to 13 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 13 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 13 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 10 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 13 ft before dropping to 4 to 13 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 13 ft before dropping to 4 to 13 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 10 ft.
Access data: Ohio DNR — Boater & Stream Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ohio waters are set by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Jackson Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Jackson Lake is about 13 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Jackson Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
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.
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 Jackson Lake is regulated by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife. Check the official Ohio regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Tycoon Lake 13 mi · Lake Alma 18 mi · Lake Vesuvius 19 mi · Timbre Ridge Lake 20 mi · Lake Rupert (Wellston Reservoir) 21 mi · Ohio River - Greenup Pool 25 mi, OH/KY/WV · Krodel Lake 26 mi, WV · Lake White 27 mi · Caldwell Lake 30 mi · Greenbo Lake 32 mi, KY · Lake Hope 33 mi · Lake Snowden 33 mi
See how Jackson Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best crappie lakes in Ohio · best bluegill lakes in Ohio · best channel catfish lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.