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282-acre lake near North Webster. The lake tops out around 62 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.
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.
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. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 37 ft that grades good for fall. 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 | Break off the point (51 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (37 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (51 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
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. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 60 ft, good for winter. 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 | Deep basin (60 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
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. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 60 ft that grades good for winter. 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 | Deep basin (60 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
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. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 60 ft that grades good for winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (60 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (60 ft) |
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 | Main-lake point (37 ft) | 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 | Deep basin (60 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 60 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 →
James Lake (Tippy Chain) is about 62 ft (19 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, muskellunge 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.
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 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.
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 crappie lakes in Indiana · best bluegill lakes in Indiana · best channel catfish lakes in Indiana
More water nearby: Kosciusko County fishing maps (16 charts). Browse all Indiana 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.