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859-acre lake in Hillsborough County. A public Florida water with exact May 2023 USF Water Institute survey contours, a broad 10- to 12-foot basin, and established largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and channel catfish fisheries. The lake tops out around 13 ft. The depth chart comes from University of South Florida Water Institute bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 861 acres, worked by 5.2 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.3), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.6 mi with a 1.1-mi widest point. If the bite dies, Hillsborough Bay is 16 mi to the southwest.
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13.4 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13.4 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait 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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 13.4 ft game here, winter a 4 to 13.4 ft one. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig 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 | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | open water | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | open water | Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13.4 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13.4 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall 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 | open water | |
| Summer | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | open water |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13.4 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13.4 ft. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) 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 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | open water | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13.4 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 13 ft.
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 Thonotosassa specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Lake Thonotosassa is about 13.4 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from University of South Florida Water Institute bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, crappie on Lake Thonotosassa.
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 Thonotosassa 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.
Hillsborough Bay 16 mi · Lake Hollingsworth 20 mi · Lake Parker 21 mi · Old Tampa Bay 23 mi · Banana Lake 23 mi · Middle Tampa Bay 26 mi · Lake Tarpon 27 mi · Mud Lake 27 mi · Lake Ariana 29 mi · Lake Jessie 31 mi · Lake Deer 31 mi · Lake Idylwild 32 mi
See how Lake Thonotosassa 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. Bathymetry credit: University of South Florida Water Institute Lake Thonotosassa Bathymetry and Morphology (NAVD88; 0% measured, 100% source-interpolated). 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.