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68-acre lake in LaGrange County, Indiana. The lake tops out around 56 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Drawn out, this is 64 acres of water rimmed by 1.9 miles of bank. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. 18% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 0.5 mi, about 0.4 mi across. The water lies in LaGrange County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Hackleburg Lake, 1 mi northeast of here.
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Fall largemouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (22 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Fall channel catfish concentrate at Back-bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 22 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Back-bay flat (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 49 ft.
Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to Messick Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
Messick Lake is about 56 ft (17 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 northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Messick Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For northern pike, 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 Messick 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.
Hackleburg Lake 1 mi · Dallas Lake 1 mi · Westler Lake 2 mi · Oliver Lake 2 mi · Olin Lake 3 mi · Witmer Lake 3 mi · Martin Lake 3 mi · Emma Lake 6 mi · Sylvan Lake 6 mi · Eve Lake 6 mi · Royer Lake 7 mi · Fish Lake 8 mi
See how Messick 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: LaGrange County fishing maps (20 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.