Lake Carl Etling Depth Map & Fishing Spots (OK)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Carl Etling, OK

Max 30 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

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

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 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.

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Recent catches at Lake Carl Etling

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lake Carl Etling on the board.

Fishing Lake Carl Etling: what the data says

152-acre reservoir in Cimarron County, Oklahoma. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

Drawn out, this is 152 acres of water rimmed by 3.8 miles of bank. The 2.2 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 56% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 1.3 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Cimarron County. The nearest mapped water is Clayton Lake, 30 mi to the southwest.

Bluegill fishing at Lake Carl Etling

In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 (1 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (30 ft)	Tiny spoon

Flathead Catfish fishing at Lake Carl Etling

Spring puts flathead catfish in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for fall flathead catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 20 ft	night & dusk	open water
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (30 ft)
Fall	9 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (30 ft)
Winter	9 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (30 ft)

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Carl Etling

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 (1 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	9 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (30 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Walleye fishing at Lake Carl Etling

Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (1 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	9 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (30 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	9 to 30 ft	dusk & night	Deep basin (30 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	9 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (30 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Notable structure

The chart marks 5 structure features on Lake Carl Etling; the deepest is Deep basin at about 30 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Lake Carl Etling fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Oklahoma waters are set by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation — and special regulations can apply to Lake Carl Etling specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Oklahoma fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Carl Etling?

Lake Carl Etling is about 30 ft (9 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 Lake Carl Etling?

Anglers target bluegill, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, walleye on Lake Carl Etling.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Carl Etling?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Carl Etling?

For bluegill, 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 Lake Carl Etling?

Fishing on Lake Carl Etling is regulated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Check the official Oklahoma regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Clayton Lake 30 mi, NM · Lake Maloya 83 mi, NM · Lake Alice 83 mi, NM · John Martin Reservoir 85 mi, CO · Ryan Pond, West 93 mi, CO · Trinidad Reservoir 96 mi, CO · Maxwell Lake 13 96 mi, NM · Springer Lake 103 mi, NM · Meredith Reservoir 103 mi, CO · Henry Lake 108 mi, CO · Ute Lake 108 mi, NM · Lake Meredith 108 mi, TX

See how Lake Carl Etling stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best walleye lakes in Oklahoma · best bluegill lakes in Oklahoma · best flathead catfish lakes in Oklahoma

Browse all Oklahoma fishing maps or 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.