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93-acre reservoir near Carmel. The lake tops out around 24 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Kirk Lake runs 117 acres with 3.4 miles of edge. An index of 2.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 53% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 1.3 mi, about 0.5 mi across. The water lies in Putnam County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Mahopac Lake, 1 mi southeast of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 7 to 24 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 24 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Secondary point, a point in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (13 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (8 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 24 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 24 ft. Start at Back-bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Deep basin (24 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 24 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 24 ft.
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 Kirk Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Kirk Lake is about 24 ft (7 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, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie on Kirk 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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Kirk Lake 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.
Mahopac Lake 1 mi · West Branch Reservoir 4 mi · Lake Gilead 4 mi · Pudding Street Pond 4 mi · Lake Gleneida 4 mi · Croton Falls Reservoir 4 mi · Boyd Corners Reservoir 5 mi · Stillwater Pond 5 mi · Middle Branch Reservoir 6 mi · Amawalk Reservoir 6 mi · Diverting Reservoir 6 mi · Canopus Lake 7 mi
See how Kirk Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best crappie lakes in New York · best bluegill lakes in New York
More water nearby: Putnam County fishing maps (12 charts). Browse all New York 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.