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3,100-acre lake near Petersburg. An Appomattox River reservoir near Petersburg. Flooded timber, grass and a solid largemouth, crappie and catfish fishery. The lake tops out around 40 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 2,515 acres wrapped in 53.3 miles of bank — one island included. The 7.6 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 91% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 10.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 3.3 mi at the beam. Dinwiddie County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Nottoway, is 22 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 20 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at Appomattox River inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Appomattox River inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) |
In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 40 ft before dropping to 12 to 40 ft for winter. Spring blue catfish concentrate at Old creek channel, a prime-rated creek channel around 20 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 12 to 40 ft, wintering in 12 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 34 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Appomattox River inflow (4 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 12 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (34 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Tiny spoon |
The chart marks 20 structure features on Lake Chesdin; the deepest is Deep basin at about 34 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Virginia waters are set by the Virginia DWR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Chesdin specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Virginia fishing regulations →
Lake Chesdin is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, striped bass, bluegill on Lake Chesdin.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Chesdin is regulated by the Virginia DWR. Check the official Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Nottoway 22 mi · James River 37 mi · Briery Creek Lake 47 mi · Lake Gordon 51 mi · Horsepen Lake 55 mi · Lake Gaston 55 mi, NC/VA · Lake Anna 57 mi · Fluvanna Ruritan Lake 61 mi · Roanoke River 64 mi, NC · Mobjack Bay 69 mi · Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) 70 mi, NC/VA · Lake Orange 70 mi
See how Lake Chesdin stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Virginia · best crappie lakes in Virginia · best bluegill lakes in Virginia · best channel catfish lakes in Virginia
Browse all Virginia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.