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144-acre lake. Hydroacoustic-surveyed Florida lake (FWC), recovered from a water-connected survey blob by joining contours to its USGS NHD named-waterbody polygon. Standard Florida warmwater roster; species not individually verified. The lake tops out around 17 ft. The depth chart comes from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 150 acres of water rimmed by 1.8 miles of bank. At index 1.1 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 93% of this chart. Figure 0.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.5 mi at the beam. The water lies in Polk County. For a second option, Lake Conine lies 1 mi east.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Grass flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Contour break (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Grass flat (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Contour break (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 17 ft, wintering in 5 to 17 ft. Top water on the chart: Deepest hole, a deep basin in the 17 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Grass flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Contour break (5 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deepest hole (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 17 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Grass flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Grass flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deepest hole (17 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Deepest hole, a deep basin in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deepest hole (17 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deepest hole (17 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest hole (17 ft) |
The chart marks 3 structure features on Lake Deer; the deepest is Deepest hole at about 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 Deer specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Lake Deer is about 17 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Lake Deer.
Grass flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Deer 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 Conine 1 mi · Lake Cannon 1 mi · Lake Idylwild 2 mi · Lake Jessie 2 mi · Lake Hartridge 2 mi · Lake Martha 3 mi · Lake Lulu 3 mi · Lake Buckeye 4 mi · Lake Roy 4 mi · Lake Smart 4 mi · Lake McLeod 4 mi · Lake Rochelle 4 mi
See how Lake Deer 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: Polk County fishing maps (34 charts). Browse all Florida fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Depth data: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Hydroacoustic lake surveys. 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.