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1,636-acre lake. The southernmost real bass lake in Florida, restored at Immokalee: shallow, weedy and full of crappie. The lake tops out around 8 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 1,675 acres of water rimmed by 10.8 miles of bank, with 5 islands in the mix. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.9) — enough points and pockets to pattern. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Tip to tip the water measures near 2 mi with a 1.8-mi widest point. The water lies in Collier County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Estero Bay, 24 mi west of here.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Grass flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Contour break (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Grass flat (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Contour break (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deepest hole, a deep basin in the 8 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
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 (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Contour break (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deepest hole (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 8 ft, wintering in 2 to 8 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Grass flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
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 (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Grass flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deepest hole (8 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Deepest hole, a deep basin in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around 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 | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deepest hole (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deepest hole (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest hole (8 ft) |
Spring puts brown bullhead in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Winter brown bullhead concentrate at Deepest hole, a prime-rated deep basin around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around 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 | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Grass flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deepest hole (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deepest hole (8 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: redear sunfish sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Grass flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a micro jig or a small soft-plastic nymph until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | Micro jig dragged near bottom, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat (5 ft) | Micro jig, Small soft-plastic nymph |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 7 to 24 ft | midday | Contour break (3 ft) | Tiny jig tipped with worm, Micro spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deepest hole (8 ft) | Tiny jigging spoon |
The chart marks 10 structure features on Lake Trafford; the deepest is Deepest hole at about 8 ft.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory. 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 Trafford specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Lake Trafford is about 8 ft (2 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.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, brown bullhead, redear sunfish on Lake Trafford.
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.
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 Trafford 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.
Estero Bay 24 mi · Dollar Bay 29 mi · Gordon Pass 30 mi · San Carlos Bay 33 mi · Matlacha Pass 37 mi · Lower Pine Island Sound 41 mi · Upper Pine Island Sound 45 mi · Captiva Passage 47 mi · Pelican Bay 49 mi · Lake Okeechobee 54 mi · Gasparilla Pass 56 mi · Lake Huntley 60 mi
See how Lake Trafford 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: 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.