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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
170-acre lake near Madison. Kansas public fishing water with KDWP bathymetric map coverage and KBS surveyed contours. The lake tops out around 35 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn outline gives you 3.2 miles of bank to pick apart. The 2.2 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. 56% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 0.8 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. Greenwood County claims this one. If the bite dies, Eureka Lake is 16 mi to the southwest.
Spring largemouth bass on Madison City Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 22 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| 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 (22 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Madison City Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 35 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
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 | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 35 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| 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 (22 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 1 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, saugeye run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 22 ft before dropping to 12 to 30 ft for winter. Fall saugeye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 22 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 35 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Kansas waters are set by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Madison City Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Madison City Lake is about 35 ft (11 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, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, saugeye on Madison City Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Madison City Lake is regulated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Kansas regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Eureka Lake 16 mi · Neosho River 20 mi · John Redmond Lake 22 mi · Toronto Lake 26 mi · New Yates Center Lake 26 mi · Woodson County State Fishing Lake 27 mi · Yates Center Reservoir 27 mi · Cottonwood River 28 mi · Chase County State Fishing Lake 30 mi · Fall River Lake 31 mi · Severy City Lake 33 mi · Melvern Lake 35 mi
See how Madison City Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kansas · best saugeye lakes in Kansas · best crappie lakes in Kansas · best bluegill lakes in Kansas
Browse all Kansas 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.