Lake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
159-acre lake near Machias. 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 rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Lime Lake draws 156 acres inside 3.9 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 2.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 33% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 1 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. The nearest mapped water is Case Lake, 8 mi to the south.
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. Winter largemouth bass concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 19 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) 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 | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, pumpkinseed slide up into 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 6 to 18 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown bullhead in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 12 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: muskellunge in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Lime Lake also holds walleye (9 to 30 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 30 ft.
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 Lime Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Lime Lake 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, bluegill, crappie, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, muskellunge, walleye, rock bass on Lime Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Lime Lake 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.
Case Lake 8 mi · Rushford Lake 14 mi · Cuba Lake 16 mi · Allen Lake 21 mi · New Albion Lake 24 mi · Red House Lake 26 mi · Silver Lake 30 mi · Quaker Lake 33 mi · Allegheny Reservoir 41 mi, PA/NY · Lower Cassadaga Lake 43 mi · Upper Cassadaga Lake 43 mi · Conesus Lake 46 mi
See how Lime Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best crappie lakes in New York · best bluegill lakes in New York
Browse all New York 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.