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909-acre lake near Oxford. CT DEEP survey water. The lake tops out around 24 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Housatonic runs 909 acres with 9.6 miles of edge. An index of 2.3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Roughly 97% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 4.7 mi, about 0.4 mi across. The water lies in Naugatuck Valley County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Zoar, 7 mi northwest of here.
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 24 ft before dropping to 5 to 24 ft for winter. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 10 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 6 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 24 ft | dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, brown trout slide up into 3 to 24 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 7 to 24 ft, winter 3 to 24 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run after dark and early morning. Keep a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 4 to 24 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 24 ft | dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 24 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 7 to 24 ft, wintering in 7 to 24 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 8 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts white perch in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 24 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 18 ft, rated prime for summer white perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | Deep basin (18 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Lake Housatonic also holds crappie (7 to 24 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), channel catfish (7 to 24 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), chain pickerel (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 6 structure features on Lake Housatonic; the deepest is Deep basin at about 18 ft.
Access data: Connecticut DEEP — State Boat Launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Connecticut waters are set by the Connecticut DEEP — and special regulations can apply to Lake Housatonic specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Lake Housatonic is about 24 ft (7 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, white perch, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, chain pickerel on Lake Housatonic. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For rainbow trout, 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 Housatonic is regulated by the Connecticut DEEP. Check the official Connecticut regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Zoar 7 mi · Chamberlain Lake 8 mi · Maltby Lake #3 8 mi · Maltby Lake #2 8 mi · Lake Wintergreen 8 mi · Maltby Lake #1 9 mi · Frash Pond 12 mi · Butterworth Dam 13 mi · Saugatuck Reservoir 14 mi · Lake Lillinonah 15 mi · Lake Saltonstall 15 mi · Naugatuck River 15 mi
See how Lake Housatonic stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best smallmouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best crappie lakes in Connecticut · best bluegill lakes in Connecticut
Browse all Connecticut fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.