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16-acre lake near Islip. The lake tops out around 3 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Knapps Lake runs 16 acres with 0.8 miles of edge. Index 1.5 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. End to end it runs roughly 0.3 mi, about 0.2 mi across. For a second option, Blydenburgh Lake lies 7 mi north.
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 3 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 3 ft, and they winter in 1 to 3 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 3 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 3 ft through summer, 1 to 3 ft in winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Deep basin (2 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown bullhead in 1 to 3 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 3 ft through summer, 1 to 3 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | dusk | Deep basin (2 ft) | |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Deep basin (2 ft) |
When the water first warms, pumpkinseed slide up into 1 to 3 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 3 ft, winter 1 to 3 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Main-lake point at roughly 3 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 Knapps Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Knapps Lake is about 3 ft (1 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, bluegill, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed on Knapps Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. 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 Knapps 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.
Blydenburgh Lake 7 mi · Lake Ronkonkoma 8 mi · Artist Lake 17 mi · Hempstead Lake 23 mi · Deep Pond 24 mi · Saugatuck River 28 mi, CT/NY · Oakland Lake 29 mi · Wildwood Lake 30 mi · Frash Pond 30 mi, CT · Kissena Lake 32 mi · Peconic River 32 mi, NY/CT · Flushing Bay 34 mi
See how Knapps Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best bluegill lakes in New York · best pumpkinseed lakes in New York · best brown bullhead lakes in New York
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.