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Fishing Lake Bonaparte: what the data says
1,248-acre lake near Diana. The lake tops out around 70 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.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Bonaparte
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Northern Pike fishing at Lake Bonaparte
Spring northern pike on Lake Bonaparte hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Brown Trout fishing at Lake Bonaparte
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter brown trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Bonaparte
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Lake Bonaparte
Spring brown bullhead on Lake Bonaparte hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 70 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Bonaparte?
Lake Bonaparte is about 70 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lake Bonaparte?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, brown trout, brown bullhead on Lake Bonaparte.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Bonaparte?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Bonaparte?
For smallmouth 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.
Nearby waters
Red Lake · Limekiln Lake · Massawepie Lake · Raquette Lake · Lake Ontario - Henderson Harbor and Golden Crescent · Tupper Lake
See how Lake Bonaparte stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best northern pike lakes in New York · best yellow perch lakes in New York · best brown trout lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.