Lake Stella Depth Map & Fishing Spots (FL)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Stella, FL

Max 20 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Lake Stella

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lake Stella on the board.

Fishing Lake Stella: what the data says

442-acre lake. Hydroacoustic-surveyed Florida lake (FWC). Standard Florida warmwater roster; species not individually verified. The lake tops out around 20 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.

The outline encloses 459 acres, worked by 3.3 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.1) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 79% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Call it 1.1 mi long by 1 mi wide at the broadest reach. Putnam County claims this one. Crescent Lake sits 2 mi northeast — the closest neighbouring chart.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Stella

Spring largemouth bass on Lake Stella hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Grass flat — weed flat, 5 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Grass flat (5 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Contour break (15 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Grass flat (5 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday	Contour break (15 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Lake Stella

Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 6 to 20 ft one. The chart's best answer is Grass flat — weed flat, 5 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Grass flat (5 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Grass flat (5 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Contour break (15 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday	Deepest hole (20 ft)	Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Lake Stella

Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 20 ft. Put Deepest hole first on the milk run — a deep basin near 20 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Grass flat (5 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Contour break (15 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Contour break (15 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday	Deepest hole (20 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Stella

Spring channel catfish on Lake Stella hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Deepest hole — deep basin, 20 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Grass flat (5 ft)
Summer	6 to 20 ft	night & dusk	Deepest hole (20 ft)
Fall	6 to 20 ft	dusk	Deepest hole (20 ft)
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday	Deepest hole (20 ft)

Notable structure

Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deepest hole, sits near 20 ft.

Deepest hole: deep basin, around 20 ft
Contour break: drop-off, around 15 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 10 ft
Grass flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Shell bar: gravel shoal, around 3 ft

Lake Stella fishing regulations

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 Stella specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Florida fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Stella?

Lake Stella is about 20 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Lake Stella?

Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish on Lake Stella.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Stella?

Grass flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Stella?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Stella?

Fishing on Lake Stella 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.

Nearby waters

Crescent Lake 2 mi · Lake Estella 5 mi · Lake Margaret 5 mi · Lake Howell 6 mi · Lower Lake Louise 7 mi · Lake George 10 mi · Lake Kerr 16 mi · Rodman Reservoir 21 mi · Lake Dias 22 mi · Lake Dexter 23 mi · Lake Woodruff 24 mi · Lake Eaton 24 mi

See how Lake Stella stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Florida · best crappie lakes in Florida · best bluegill lakes in Florida · best channel catfish lakes in Florida

More water nearby: Putnam County fishing maps (7 charts). Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.