Lake Pierce Depth Map & Fishing Spots (FL)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Pierce, FL

Max 11 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 ~6 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 here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Lake Pierce

1 angler watching on this water. 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 Pierce on the board.

Fishing Lake Pierce: what the data says

3,528-acre lake. Hydroacoustic-surveyed Florida lake (FWC). Standard Florida warmwater roster; species not individually verified. The lake tops out around 11 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.

Drawn out, this is 3,629 acres of water rimmed by 27.6 miles of bank, broken up by 9 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.3) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Tip to tip the water measures near 4.2 mi with a 3-mi widest point. You'll find it in Polk County. The nearest mapped water is Lake Annie, 5 mi to the west.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Pierce

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 11 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 11 ft. Grass flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 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	Grass flat (2 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	3 to 11 ft	dawn & dusk	Contour break (6 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	3 to 11 ft	midday & dawn	Grass flat (2 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	3 to 11 ft	midday	Contour break (6 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Lake Pierce

Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 11 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 11 ft. Top water on the chart: Grass flat, a weed flat in the 2 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	Grass flat (2 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	3 to 11 ft	dawn & dusk	Grass flat (2 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	3 to 11 ft	midday	Contour break (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	3 to 11 ft	midday	Deepest hole (11 ft)	Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Lake Pierce

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 11 ft before dropping to 3 to 11 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deepest hole, a prime-rated deep basin around 11 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	Grass flat (2 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	3 to 11 ft	dawn & dusk	Contour break (6 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	3 to 11 ft	dawn	Contour break (6 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	3 to 11 ft	midday	Deepest hole (11 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Pierce

Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 11 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. Deepest hole is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 11 ft	dusk	Grass flat (2 ft)
Summer	3 to 11 ft	night & dusk	Deepest hole (11 ft)
Fall	3 to 11 ft	dusk	Deepest hole (11 ft)
Winter	3 to 11 ft	midday	Deepest hole (11 ft)

Notable structure

11 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deepest hole, around 11 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deepest hole: deep basin, around 11 ft
Contour break: drop-off, around 7 ft
Contour break: drop-off, around 6 ft
Contour break: drop-off, around 3 ft
Shell bar: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Grass flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Grass flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Grass flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Grass flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Shell bar: gravel shoal, around 1 ft
Shell bar: gravel shoal, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat Ramp — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Lake Pierce fishing regulations

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

Check the official Florida fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Pierce?

Lake Pierce is about 11 ft (3 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.

What fish are in Lake Pierce?

Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish on Lake Pierce.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Pierce?

Grass flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Pierce?

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 Pierce?

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

Nearby waters

Lake Annie 5 mi · Lake Wailes 6 mi · Lake Marion 7 mi · Lake Hatchineha 8 mi · Lake Rosalie 8 mi · Lake Hamilton 9 mi · Lake Winterset 10 mi · Lake Eloise 11 mi · Lake Tracy 11 mi · Lake Roy 11 mi · Lake Fannie 12 mi · Lake Buckeye 12 mi

See how Lake Pierce stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Florida · best crappie lakes in Florida · best bluegill lakes in Florida · best channel catfish lakes in Florida

More water nearby: Polk County fishing maps (34 charts). Browse all Florida 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.