Lay Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (AL)

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Lake depth chart

Lay Lake, AL

Max 60 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Lay Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lay Lake on the board.

Fishing Lay Lake: what the data says

12,000-acre lake near Columbiana. A Coosa River tournament lake with grass, laydowns and current-driven spotted and largemouth bass. The lake tops out around 60 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

Lay Lake maps at 12,307 acres behind 237.7 miles of shoreline, broken up by 15 islands. The 15.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 88% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 33.6 mi long by 8.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. Talladega County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Mitchell Lake, is 23 mi to the south.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lay Lake

Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Spotted Bass fishing at Lay Lake

Spring puts spotted bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 40 ft; cold water stacks them in 25 to 50 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for spring spotted bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head
Summer	15 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Walking topwater, Underspin
Winter	25 to 50 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)	Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at Lay Lake

When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 30 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (27 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Old creek channel (30 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lay Lake

Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at Coosa River inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Coosa River inflow (6 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Old creek channel (30 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Old creek channel (30 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Old creek channel (30 ft)

Striped Bass fishing at Lay Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 25 to 60 ft, wintering in 20 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: Coosa River inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Coosa River inflow (6 ft)	3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug
Summer	25 to 60 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (51 ft)	Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig
Winter	20 to 50 ft	midday	Old creek channel (30 ft)	Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom

Bluegill fishing at Lay Lake

Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Sharp break (27 ft)	Tiny spoon

Notable structure

Count 18 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 51 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 51 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 30 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 27 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 27 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 15 ft
Secondary point: point, around 15 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 6 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Coosa River inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 6 ft
Shallow flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Shallow flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 5 ft

Lay Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alabama waters are set by the Alabama DCNR — and special regulations can apply to Lay Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Alabama fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lay Lake?

Lay Lake is about 60 ft (18 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Lay Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, channel catfish, striped bass, bluegill on Lay Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lay Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lay Lake?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Lay Lake?

Fishing on Lay Lake is regulated by the Alabama DCNR. Check the official Alabama regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Mitchell Lake 23 mi · Logan Martin Lake 26 mi · Lake Jordan 34 mi · Bibb County Public Fishing Lake 41 mi · Lake Martin 42 mi · Coosa River (Wetumpka) 46 mi · Clay County Public Fishing Lakes 47 mi · Lake Wedowee 50 mi · Neely Henry Lake 50 mi · Bankhead Lake 52 mi · Sipsey Fork 61 mi · Walker County Public Fishing Lake 61 mi

See how Lay Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Alabama · best crappie lakes in Alabama · best bluegill lakes in Alabama · best channel catfish lakes in Alabama

Browse all Alabama fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.