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35-acre lake in Steuben County, Indiana. The lake tops out around 58 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, McClish Lake runs 35 acres with 1 miles of edge. Nearly circular (index 1.2), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 13% of this chart. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Steuben County. The nearest mapped water is Lake of the Woods, 1 mi to the northwest.
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a feeding flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (49 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in the 6 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 (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (16 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in about 6 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 (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) 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 (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (16 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (16 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (49 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| 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 | Back-bay flat (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a feeding flat in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in fall. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Back-bay flat (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (49 ft) |
The chart marks 3 structure features on McClish Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 49 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to McClish Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
McClish Lake is about 58 ft (18 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on McClish Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on McClish Lake is regulated by the Indiana DNR. Check the official Indiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake of the Woods 1 mi · Story Lake 3 mi · Pretty Lake 4 mi · Blackman Lake 5 mi · Appleman Lake 6 mi · Tamarack Lake 6 mi · Little Long Lake 6 mi · Eve Lake 7 mi · Bixler Lake 8 mi · Royer Lake 9 mi · Sylvan Lake 9 mi · Fish Lake 9 mi
See how McClish Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best northern pike lakes in Indiana · best crappie lakes in Indiana · best bluegill lakes in Indiana
More water nearby: Steuben County fishing maps (13 charts). Browse all Indiana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.