Lake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
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205-acre lake near Haverstraw. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 177 acres of water rimmed by 2.6 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. A shoreline index of 1.4 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 48% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 0.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. The water lies in Rockland County. The nearest mapped water is Lake Askoti, 2 mi to the northwest.
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 9 to 30 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 14 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (30 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season chain pickerel use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 18 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Lake Welch carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 30 ft down.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Lake Welch specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Lake Welch is about 30 ft (9 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, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel on Lake Welch.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Welch is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Askoti 2 mi · Lake Tiorati 3 mi · Lake Sebago 3 mi · Lake Stahahe 4 mi · Silver Mine Lake 4 mi · Pine Meadow Lake 5 mi · Hessian Lake 7 mi · Walton Lake 9 mi · Round Lake 9 mi · Hudson River - Tappan Zee to Haverstraw Bay 10 mi · Rockland Lake 10 mi · Hudson River - Haverstraw Bay to Newburgh 11 mi
See how Lake Welch stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best chain pickerel lakes in New York
Browse all New York 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.