Lake Mattamuskeet Depth Map & Fishing Spots (NC)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Mattamuskeet, NC

Max 10 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Lake Mattamuskeet

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lake Mattamuskeet on the board.

Fishing Lake Mattamuskeet: what the data says

40,100-acre lake near Swan Quarter. North Carolina's largest natural lake. A vast 2-foot-deep refuge bowl where bass and slab crappie roam the grass. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

Drawn out, this is 40,023 acres of water rimmed by 80.8 miles of bank, with 24 islands in the mix. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.9) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Figure 14.2 mi of water from one end to the other, 7.5 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Hyde County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Pamlico Sound, 14 mi southeast of here.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Mattamuskeet

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	3 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	3 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	3 to 10 ft	midday	Break off the point (5 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at Lake Mattamuskeet

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 10 ft before dropping to 3 to 10 ft for winter. Fall crappie concentrate at Old creek channel, a prime-rated creek channel around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	3 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Old creek channel (5 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	3 to 10 ft	dawn	Old creek channel (5 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	3 to 10 ft	midday	Deep basin (9 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Lake Mattamuskeet

Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 10 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 10 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	3 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	3 to 10 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	3 to 10 ft	midday	Deep basin (9 ft)	Tiny spoon

Notable structure

The chart marks 12 structure features on Lake Mattamuskeet; the deepest is Deep basin at about 9 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 5 ft
Shallow flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 3 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Lake Mattamuskeet fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Carolina waters are set by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission — and special regulations can apply to Lake Mattamuskeet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Mattamuskeet?

Lake Mattamuskeet is about 10 ft (3 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.

What fish are in Lake Mattamuskeet?

Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Lake Mattamuskeet.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Mattamuskeet?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Mattamuskeet?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Mattamuskeet?

Fishing on Lake Mattamuskeet is regulated by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Check the official North Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Pamlico Sound 14 mi · Hatteras Inlet 33 mi · Sandy Bay 35 mi · Jarrett Bay 53 mi · North River 55 mi, NC/VA · Currituck Sound 60 mi, NC/VA · Back Sound 61 mi · Money Island Bay 63 mi · Lookout Bight 64 mi · Bogue Sound 70 mi · North Landing River 74 mi, VA/NC · Back Bay 76 mi, VA

See how Lake Mattamuskeet stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in North Carolina · best crappie lakes in North Carolina · best bluegill lakes in North Carolina

Browse all North Carolina 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.