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3,756-acre lake. The quiet member of the Harris Chain: no through-traffic, thick grass and an honest big-fish reputation. The lake tops out around 24 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The outline encloses 3,924 acres, worked by 29.4 miles of shoreline — 11 islands included. A development index of 3.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. About 80% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 4.8 mi long by 2.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. Lake County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Ella Lake, is 4 mi to the northeast.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 24 ft. Put Sharp break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 14 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Sharp break (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Lake Yale hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 24 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 24 ft. The chart's best answer is Dock / pier line — dock line, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Sharp break (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Lake Yale hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. Put Dock / pier line first on the milk run — a dock line near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Dock / pier line (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Sharp break (14 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 24 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 24 ft. Put Shallow feeding flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 20 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | night & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Sharp break (14 ft) |
Lake Yale carries 13 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Shallow feeding flat, about 20 ft down.
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 Yale specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Lake Yale is about 24 ft (7 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, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Lake Yale.
Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. 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 Yale 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.
Ella Lake 4 mi · Lake Eustis 5 mi · Lake Dalhousie 7 mi · Lake Griffin 8 mi · Lake Dora 9 mi · Lake Dorr 10 mi · Lake Carlton 11 mi · Lake Harris 11 mi · Lake Denham 14 mi · Lake Weir 15 mi · Lake Okahumpka 17 mi · Prevatt Lake 20 mi
See how Lake Yale 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: Lake County fishing maps (9 charts). Browse all Florida 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.