Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeSalt water depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
59,170-acre estuary near Ponchatoula. The water tops out around 25 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 59,039 acres, worked by 43.3 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Call it 13.5 mi long by 10.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in St. John the Baptist Parish. If the bite dies, Amite River is 12 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer keeps them at 6 to 25 ft, and they winter in 8 to 25 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for spring blue catfish. Time it for early morning 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 | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
Come spring, look for red drum (redfish) tight to the bank in 1 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 15 ft. Start at Feeding flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (6 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Tickfaw River inflow (5 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Old creek channel (10 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
When the water first warms, alligator gar slide up into 2 to 16 ft. Summer is a 4 to 25 ft game here, winter a 7 to 25 ft one. Start at Tickfaw River inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a large swimbait or a heavy glide bait rigged through the warm months.
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 16 ft | midday | Tickfaw River inflow (5 ft) | Large swimbait, Heavy spinnerbait |
| Summer | 4 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (10 ft) | Large swimbait, Heavy glide bait |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (10 ft) | Large swimbait, Heavy spoon |
| Winter | 7 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Slow large swimbait |
18 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 16 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Louisiana waters are set by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries — and special regulations can apply to Lake Maurepas specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Louisiana fishing regulations →
Lake Maurepas is about 25 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, blue catfish, red drum (redfish), alligator gar on Lake Maurepas.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Maurepas is regulated by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Check the official Louisiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Amite River 12 mi · Tangipahoa River 15 mi, LA/MS · Lac Des Allemands 23 mi · Lake Pontchartrain 25 mi · Lake Verret 46 mi · Belle River 49 mi · Lower Atchafalaya River 59 mi · False River 63 mi · Lake Columbia 79 mi, MS · Lake Bill Waller 80 mi, MS · Lake Okhissa 83 mi, MS · Atchafalaya River 84 mi
See how Lake Maurepas stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Louisiana · best blue catfish lakes in Louisiana
Browse all Louisiana fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). 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.