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770-acre lake near Derby. The lake tops out around 67 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Lake Salem draws 594 acres inside 4.2 miles of shoreline. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 31% of this chart. The basin spans about 1.5 mi end to end and 1 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Orleans County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Derby, 2 mi north of here.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 37 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Clyde River inflow (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (37 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| 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 | Secondary point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (37 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Secondary point, a prime-rated point around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (8 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (37 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 8 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 37 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Clyde River inflow (2 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring yellow perch on Lake Salem hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (37 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The chart marks 8 structure features on Lake Salem; the deepest is Deep basin at about 67 ft.
Access data: Vermont Fish & Wildlife — Fishing Access Areas. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Vermont waters are set by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Lake Salem specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Vermont fishing regulations →
Lake Salem is about 67 ft (20 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 walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Lake Salem.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 37 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. 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 Salem is regulated by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife. Check the official Vermont regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Derby 2 mi · Clyde Pond 3 mi · Brownington Pond 4 mi · Pensioner Pond 5 mi · Seymour Lake 7 mi · Echo Lake 7 mi · Holland Pond 10 mi · Norton Pond 12 mi · Lac Lyster 12 mi, QC · Lake Memphremagog 12 mi, VT/QC · Lake Willoughby 13 mi · May Pond 13 mi
See how Lake Salem stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Vermont · best smallmouth bass lakes in Vermont · best walleye lakes in Vermont · best rainbow trout lakes in Vermont
More water nearby: Orleans County fishing maps (19 charts). Browse all Vermont 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.