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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
423-acre lake. Hydroacoustic-surveyed Florida lake (FWC). Standard Florida warmwater roster; species not individually verified. The lake tops out around 17 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The outline encloses 440 acres, worked by 3.9 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. End to end it runs roughly 1 mi, about 1 mi across. It sits in Orange County. If the bite dies, Lake Dora is 3 mi to the northwest.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 5 to 17 ft game here, winter a 5 to 17 ft one. The chart's best answer is Grass flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Grass flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deepest hole (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Lake Carlton hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 17 ft. The chart's best answer is Grass flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Grass flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Grass flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deepest hole (17 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring crappie on Lake Carlton hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. Put Deepest hole first on the milk run — a deep basin near 17 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Grass flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Deepest hole (17 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Deepest hole (17 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deepest hole (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 17 ft game here, winter a 5 to 17 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deepest hole — deep basin, 17 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Grass flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | night & dusk | Deepest hole (17 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dusk | Deepest hole (17 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deepest hole (17 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deepest hole at roughly 17 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — and special regulations can apply to Lake Carlton specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Lake Carlton is about 17 ft (5 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.
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish on Lake Carlton.
Grass flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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 Lake Carlton is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Check the official Florida regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Dora 3 mi · Lake Eustis 7 mi · Lake Harris 9 mi · Lake Apopka 10 mi · Lake Dalhousie 10 mi · Prevatt Lake 11 mi · Lake Yale 11 mi · Ella Lake 14 mi · Lake Griffin 14 mi · Lake Minneola 15 mi · Starke Lake 15 mi · Lake Denham 15 mi
See how Lake Carlton stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Florida · best crappie lakes in Florida · best bluegill lakes in Florida · best channel catfish lakes in Florida
More water nearby: Orange County fishing maps (22 charts). Browse all Florida 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.