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2,050-acre lake. Hydroacoustic-surveyed Florida lake (FWC). Standard Florida warmwater roster; species not individually verified. The lake tops out around 13 ft. The depth chart comes from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Lake Sampson maps at 2,082 acres behind 9.2 miles of shoreline, broken up by 2 islands. A shoreline index of 1.4 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. End to end it runs roughly 2.3 mi, about 2 mi across. Bradford County claims this one. Lake Alto sits 11 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13 ft. Start at Grass flat 3. It's a weed flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Contour break 1 (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Contour break 1 (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Grass flat 3: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig 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 | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deepest hole (13 ft) | Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deepest hole: a deep basin around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) 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 8 ft | midday & dawn | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Contour break 1 (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deepest hole (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13 ft. Start at Deepest hole. It's a deep basin holding about 13 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deepest hole (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deepest hole (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest hole (13 ft) |
Spring redear sunfish on Lake Sampson hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The chart's best answer is Grass flat 3 — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a micro jig or a small soft-plastic nymph.
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 | midday & dusk | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | Micro jig dragged near bottom, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat 3 (4 ft) | Micro jig, Small soft-plastic nymph |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 7 to 24 ft | midday | Contour break 1 (11 ft) | Tiny jig tipped with worm, Micro spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deepest hole (13 ft) | Tiny jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 11 features, led in depth by Deepest hole at roughly 13 ft.
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 Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — and special regulations can apply to Lake Sampson specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Lake Sampson is about 13 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, redear sunfish on Lake Sampson.
Grass flat 3 is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 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.
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 Sampson 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 Alto 11 mi · Butler Lake 12 mi · Lowry Lake 12 mi · Lake Brooklyn 13 mi · Santa Fe Lake 14 mi · Sheeler Lake 15 mi · Newnans Lake 20 mi · Cowpen Lake 25 mi · Wauberg Lake 28 mi · Star Lake 29 mi · Doctors Lake 30 mi · Alligator Lake 31 mi
See how Lake Sampson 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. See every water on DepthScout. Depth data: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Hydroacoustic lake surveys. 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.