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4,868-acre section. Protected bay inside the Presque Isle peninsula at Erie. Bass and panfish water with a real ice season, and steelhead staging off the mouth in fall. The lake tops out around 28 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings, 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.
The drawn outline gives you 15 miles of bank to pick apart. With a 1.9 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 65% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 4.7 mi, about 2.1 mi across. Erie County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Findley Lake, is 20 mi to the east.
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 28 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 28 ft. Start at Sharp break. It's a drop-off holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (11 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (11 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Sharp break (11 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Weed flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Sharp break (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 28 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 28 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Sharp break (11 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Sharp break (11 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 28 ft. Start at Weed flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Sharp break (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Start at Weed flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (11 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (11 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, steelhead run shallow here, mostly 3 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 28 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 15 ft. Gravel shoal is the standout, a gravel shoal at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring steelhead. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (3 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 3 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (11 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (11 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Lake Erie - Presque Isle Bay also holds muskellunge (8 to 25 ft in summer), walleye (8 to 28 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 19 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Shallow feeding flat, sits near 20 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Pennsylvania waters are set by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission — and special regulations can apply to Lake Erie - Presque Isle Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Pennsylvania fishing regulations →
Lake Erie - Presque Isle Bay is about 28 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch, crappie, northern pike, steelhead, muskellunge, walleye, rock bass on Lake Erie - Presque Isle Bay.
Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Lake Erie - Presque Isle Bay is regulated by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. Check the official Pennsylvania regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Findley Lake 20 mi, NY · Lake Erie - Central Basin East 25 mi, OH/PA/ON · Chautauqua Lake 35 mi, NY · Conneaut Lake 37 mi · Lake Erie - Eastern Basin 39 mi, PA/NY/ON · Ashtabula River 39 mi, OH/PA · Bear Lake 40 mi, NY · Pymatuning Reservoir 43 mi, OH/PA · Upper Cassadaga Lake 43 mi, NY · Lower Cassadaga Lake 43 mi, NY · Silver Lake 46 mi, ON · Deer Cr. Re. 46 mi, ON
See how Lake Erie - Presque Isle Bay stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Pennsylvania · best smallmouth bass lakes in Pennsylvania · best walleye lakes in Pennsylvania · best crappie lakes in Pennsylvania
Browse all Pennsylvania fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic 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.