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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
377-acre lake near Franklin. The lake tops out around 90 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 378 acres of water rimmed by 7.9 miles of bank, with 2 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 2.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 43% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 2 mi with a 0.8-mi widest point. The water lies in Franklin County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Buck Pond, 1 mi south of here.
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 27 to 90 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 90 ft, rated prime for summer lake trout. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (41 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 27 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (90 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (41 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (48 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane 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 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 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 (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (48 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts brown bullhead in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 12 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Spring brown bullhead concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (90 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 48 ft range, prime in winter. 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 (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (48 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts kokanee in skinny water — 10 to 30 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 30 to 70 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 90 ft, rated prime for winter kokanee. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (90 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Break off the point (48 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (48 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (90 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 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 (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (90 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (90 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Lake Kushaqua also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 90 ft.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2025* | Lake Trout | 1,350 | ~6.9" |
| April 2024* | Lake Trout | 1,130 | ~6.8" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: NYSDEC fish-stocking lists, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Lake Kushaqua specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Lake Kushaqua is about 90 ft (27 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 lake trout, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, smallmouth bass, kokanee, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Lake Kushaqua.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 90 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per NYSDEC fish-stocking lists records, Lake Kushaqua was most recently stocked April 2025 with 1,350 lake trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Kushaqua is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Buck Pond 1 mi · Barnum Pond 8 mi · Franklin Falls Flow 9 mi · Meacham Lake 9 mi · Union Falls Flow 9 mi · Clear Pond 10 mi · Lower St. Regis Lake 10 mi · Spitfire Lake 10 mi · Lake Clear 12 mi · Lake Colby 12 mi · Taylor Pond 13 mi · St. Regis Pond 14 mi
See how Lake Kushaqua stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best yellow perch lakes in New York · best lake trout lakes in New York
More water nearby: Franklin County fishing maps (9 charts). Browse all New York 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.