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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
188-acre lake in Essex County, Vermont. The lake tops out around 35 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
On the chart, Neal Pond draws 181 acres inside 2.9 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. 53% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 1.1 mi, about 0.4 mi across. The water lies in Essex County. The nearest mapped water is Martin Meadow Pond, 5 mi to the southeast.
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring brown bullhead. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
When the water first warms, chain pickerel slide up into 2 to 10 ft. 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 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 (9 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Neal Pond also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 30 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Vermont waters are set by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Neal Pond specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Vermont fishing regulations →
Neal Pond is about 35 ft (11 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 bluegill, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch on Neal Pond.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For bluegill, 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 Neal Pond is regulated by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife. Check the official Vermont regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Martin Meadow Pond 5 mi, NH · BLOOD POND 7 mi, NH · Miles Pond 7 mi · Mirror Lake 8 mi, NH · Burns Pond 10 mi, NH · Forest Lake 10 mi, NH · Moore Reservoir 11 mi, NH/VT · Maidstone Lake 11 mi · Stiles Pond 13 mi · West Mountain Pond 14 mi · Partridge Lake 16 mi, NH · STREETER POND 17 mi, NH
See how Neal Pond stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Vermont · best smallmouth bass lakes in Vermont · best northern pike lakes in Vermont · best bluegill lakes in Vermont
More water nearby: Essex County fishing maps (12 charts). Browse all Vermont 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.