Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
37-acre lake near Harrisonburg. Just outside Harrisonburg in the Shenandoah Valley, giving anglers an unusual shot at muskie alongside bass and panfish. The lake tops out around 25 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Shenandoah runs 33 acres with 1.3 miles of edge. Index 1.6 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. About 75% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 0.5 mi, about 0.3 mi across. You'll find it in Rockingham County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Brandywine Lake, 25 mi northwest of here.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Shallow bay 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 8 to 25 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 25 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 25 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Deep basin (25 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 11 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The chart marks 5 structure features on Lake Shenandoah; the deepest is Deep basin at about 25 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 Virginia waters are set by the Virginia DWR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Shenandoah specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Virginia fishing regulations →
Lake Shenandoah is about 25 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, common carp, channel catfish, muskellunge on Lake Shenandoah.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Shenandoah is regulated by the Virginia DWR. Check the official Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Brandywine Lake 25 mi, WV · Brushy Fork Lake 27 mi, WV · South Mill Creek Lake 37 mi, WV · Kimsey Run Lake 40 mi, WV · Rock Cliff Lake 40 mi, WV · Fluvanna Ruritan Lake 42 mi · Parker Hollow Lake 45 mi, WV · Lake Orange 46 mi · Spruce Knob Lake 46 mi, WV · Warden Lake 54 mi, WV · South Branch Potomac 54 mi, WV · Lake A. Willis Robertson 58 mi
See how Lake Shenandoah stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Virginia · best crappie lakes in Virginia · best bluegill lakes in Virginia · best channel catfish lakes in Virginia
Browse all Virginia 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.