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Fishing Maltby Lake #3: what the data says
33-acre lake near Orange, West Haven. 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Maltby Lake #3
Spring largemouth bass on Maltby Lake #3 hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Maltby Lake #3
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Maltby Lake #3
Spring yellow perch on Maltby Lake #3 hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 24 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 23 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at Maltby Lake #3
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 24 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 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 |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Maltby Lake #3
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 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 Break off the point: a drop-off around 18 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
White Perch fishing at Maltby Lake #3
Start shallow in spring: white perch sit in 4 to 15 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 Deep basin: a deep basin around 23 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 23 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 18 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Maltby Lake #3?
Maltby Lake #3 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 Maltby Lake #3?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, chain pickerel, white perch on Maltby Lake #3.
Where is the best fishing spot on Maltby Lake #3?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Maltby Lake #3?
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
Maltby Lake #2 · Maltby Lake #1 · Lake Wintergreen · Chamberlain Lake · Lake Saltonstall · Lake Housatonic
See how Maltby Lake #3 stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best smallmouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best bluegill lakes in Connecticut · best yellow perch lakes in Connecticut
Browse all Connecticut fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.