Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at New Yates Center Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing New Yates Center Lake: what the data says
297-acre lake near Yates Center. Kansas public fishing water with KDWP bathymetric map coverage and KBS surveyed contours. The lake tops out around 38 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.
The chart traces 3.7 miles of shoreline here. A middling shoreline index (2) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 37% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives.
Largemouth Bass fishing at New Yates Center Lake
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at New Yates Center Lake
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 11 to 38 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 36 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) |
Crappie fishing at New Yates Center Lake
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 36 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at New Yates Center Lake
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Back-bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Saugeye fishing at New Yates Center Lake
Start shallow in spring: saugeye sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 22 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for saugeye in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 36 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 16 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 15 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
New Yates Center Lake fishing regulations
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 New Yates Center Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is New Yates Center Lake?
New Yates Center Lake is about 38 ft (12 m) deep 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 New Yates Center Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on New Yates Center Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on New Yates Center Lake?
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
When is the best time to fish New Yates Center Lake?
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.
What are the fishing regulations for New Yates Center Lake?
Fishing on New Yates Center 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.
Nearby waters
Yates Center Reservoir 3 mi · Woodson County State Fishing Lake 4 mi · Toronto Lake 10 mi · Wilson County State Fishing Lake 12 mi · Fall River Lake 20 mi · Neosho River 23 mi · Verdigris River 24 mi · Severy City Lake 25 mi · Madison City Lake 26 mi · Eureka Lake 28 mi · John Redmond Lake 29 mi · Thayer New City Lake 30 mi
See how New Yates Center 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 or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.