James Lake (Tippy Chain) Depth Map & Fishing Spots (IN)

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Lake depth chart

James Lake (Tippy Chain), IN

Max 62 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 5 – Nov 15 · the Midwest edition — a ~10° drop off summer temps starts it mid-September and it builds as the water falls through the 60s; gizzard shad tolerate cold, so it outlasts the southern threadfin version

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageMar 15 – May 31 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMay 1 – Jun 30 · in ~7 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 20 – Aug 5 · in ~7 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at James Lake (Tippy Chain)

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Fishing James Lake (Tippy Chain): what the data says

282-acre lake near North Webster. The lake tops out around 62 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.

There are 0.5 miles of drawn shoreline to work. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 0% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. It sits in Kosciusko County. If the bite dies, Lake Tippecanoe is 2 mi to the west.

Largemouth Bass fishing at James Lake (Tippy Chain)

Spring largemouth bass on James Lake (Tippy Chain) hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.

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

Crappie fishing at James Lake (Tippy Chain)

Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	open water	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	open water	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at James Lake (Tippy Chain)

Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	open water	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	open water	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	open water	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at James Lake (Tippy Chain)

Spring channel catfish on James Lake (Tippy Chain) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	open water
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	open water
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	open water
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	open water

Muskellunge fishing at James Lake (Tippy Chain)

Early season muskellunge use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 37 ft that grades good for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	open water	Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper)
Fall	8 to 30 ft	midday & dusk	Main-lake point (37 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Large rubber, crawled slow

Brown Bullhead fishing at James Lake (Tippy Chain)

Early season brown bullhead use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dusk & night	open water
Summer	3 to 12 ft	night & dusk	open water
Fall	5 to 15 ft	dusk	open water
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	open water

James Lake (Tippy Chain) also holds longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer), northern pike (8 to 20 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 60 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 60 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 51 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 37 ft

Public access & boat ramps

James Lake (Use Grassy Creek Ramp) — ramp (other)

Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

James Lake (Tippy Chain) fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to James Lake (Tippy Chain) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is James Lake (Tippy Chain)?

James Lake (Tippy Chain) is about 62 ft (19 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.

What fish are in James Lake (Tippy Chain)?

Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, muskellunge, brown bullhead, longnose gar, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, white bass, yellow perch on James Lake (Tippy Chain).

Where is the best fishing spot on James Lake (Tippy Chain)?

Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 37 ft of water that rates good for muskellunge in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish James Lake (Tippy Chain)?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for James Lake (Tippy Chain)?

Fishing on James Lake (Tippy Chain) is regulated by the Indiana DNR. Check the official Indiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Lake Tippecanoe 2 mi · Webster Lake 2 mi · Big Barbee 3 mi · Shock Lake 3 mi · The Backwaters 3 mi · Kiser Lake 4 mi · Big Chapman Lake 4 mi · Spear Lake 4 mi · Dewart Lake 4 mi · Little Chapman Lake 5 mi · Gordy Lake 6 mi · Village Lake 6 mi

See how James Lake (Tippy Chain) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best northern pike lakes in Indiana · best crappie lakes in Indiana · best bluegill lakes in Indiana

More water nearby: Kosciusko County fishing maps (16 charts). Browse all Indiana fishing maps. 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.