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3,700-acre lake near Dunnellon. The lake tops out around 27 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Lake Rousseau maps at 3,128 acres behind 34.4 miles of shoreline. The 4.4 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 97% of this chart. Call it 9.3 mi long by 1.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. Citrus County claims this one. Lake Rousseau sits 2 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 27 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Sharp break (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Lake Rousseau hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring crappie on Lake Rousseau hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 20 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 27 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 20 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) |
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 27 ft, wintering in 8 to 27 ft. Summer striped bass concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 20 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (10 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Spring white bass & hybrids on Lake Rousseau hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 27 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 20 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel shoal (3 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
16 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 20 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Rousseau specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Lake Rousseau is about 27 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, striped bass, white bass & hybrids on Lake Rousseau.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 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 Rousseau 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.
Lake Rousseau 2 mi · Kings Bay 10 mi · Lake Panasoffkee 30 mi · Lake Okahumpka 35 mi · Lake Weir 36 mi · Lochloosa Lake 37 mi · Orange Lake 37 mi · Wauberg Lake 37 mi · Lake Denham 43 mi · Lake Griffin 43 mi · Lake Eaton 44 mi · Star Lake 46 mi
See how Lake Rousseau stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Florida · best crappie lakes in Florida · best bluegill lakes in Florida · best channel catfish lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.