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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
151-acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 19 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Little John Lake draws 153 acres inside 2.9 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.7) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 88% of this chart, as modeled. Call it 0.8 mi long by 0.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Vilas County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Little John Junior Lake, 1 mi southeast of here.
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 19 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 5 to 19 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 19 ft. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 9 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 4 to 19 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 19 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 19 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 19 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 19 ft before dropping to 6 to 19 ft for winter. Fall muskellunge concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 9 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 19 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 19 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 8 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 19 ft before dropping to 6 to 19 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Little John Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 16 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Little John Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Little John Lake is about 19 ft (6 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.
Anglers target rainbow trout, walleye, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass on Little John Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For rainbow trout, 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 Little John Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Little John Junior Lake 1 mi · Firefly Lake 1 mi · Big Muskellunge Lake 1 mi · Emerald Lake 2 mi · Mann Lake 2 mi · Allequash Lake 2 mi · Crystal Lake 2 mi · Fallison Lake 2 mi · Wildwood Lake 2 mi · Midge Lake 3 mi · Trout Lake 3 mi · Sparkling Lake 3 mi
See how Little John Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Vilas County fishing maps (507 charts). Browse all Wisconsin 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.