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Fishing Lake Yale: what the data says
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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Yale
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 7 to 24 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for winter largemouth bass. Best bite is 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Lake Yale
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 7 to 24 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 14 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Lake Yale
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Yale
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 24 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. Shallow feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for summer channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 14 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 10 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Yale?
Lake Yale is about 24 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lake Yale?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Lake Yale.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Yale?
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.
Nearby waters
Lake Eustis · Lake Griffin · Lake Dora · Lake Harris · Lake Weir · Lake Apopka
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
Browse all Florida fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.