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407,102-acre estuary near New Orleans. The water tops out around 69 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Pontchartrain runs 406,868 acres with 155.5 miles of edge, with 4 islands in the mix. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. About 82% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 41.3 mi long by 25.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in St. Tammany Parish. The nearest mapped water is Tangipahoa River, 16 mi to the northwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: red drum (redfish) in 1 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 12 ft, wintering in 3 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 3 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Creek inflow (3 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Old creek channel (15 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring spotted seatrout on Lake Pontchartrain hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Back-bay flat — weed flat, 5 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Deep hole (20 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
In spring, southern flounder run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 40 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for spring southern flounder. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (15 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (15 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | Creek inflow (4 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (28 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Start shallow in spring: sheepshead sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 15 ft covers summer, 10 to 30 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Marina / dock area, a dock line in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for sheepshead in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a small jig + crab piece until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (6 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (4 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | Dock / pier line (6 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
50 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 28 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Pontchartrain specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Louisiana fishing regulations →
Lake Pontchartrain is about 69 ft (21 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 red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, sheepshead on Lake Pontchartrain.
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For red drum (redfish), 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 Pontchartrain 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.
Tangipahoa River 16 mi, LA/MS · Lake Maurepas 25 mi · Lac Des Allemands 35 mi · Amite River 36 mi · Lake Verret 67 mi · Belle River 71 mi · Lake Columbia 71 mi, MS · Lake Bill Waller 72 mi, MS · Lower Atchafalaya River 78 mi · Geiger Lake 82 mi, MS · False River 87 mi · Moon Lake 90 mi, AL
Browse all Louisiana fishing maps or 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.