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5,795-acre reservoir near Leitchfield. The lake tops out around 85 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 5,677 acres wrapped in 143.7 miles of bank. The 13.6 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 80% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 11.5 mi end to end and 7.7 mi across at its widest. It sits in Hart County. If the bite dies, Rough River Lake is 22 mi to the northwest.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 | 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 | Sharp break (17 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 | Sharp break (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Nolin River Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| 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 | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Nolin River Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| 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 | Sharp break (17 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Nolin River inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 8 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Nolin River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Nolin River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Sharp break (17 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (43 ft) |
Spring white bass & hybrids on Nolin River Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Put Nolin River inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Nolin River inflow (8 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (43 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Nolin River inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 8 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Nolin River inflow (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (17 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (38 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (38 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The chart marks 27 structure features on Nolin River Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 72 ft.
Access data: Kentucky Fish & Wildlife — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Kentucky waters are set by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Nolin River Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kentucky fishing regulations →
Nolin River Lake is about 85 ft (26 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 largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, walleye on Nolin River Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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.
Fishing on Nolin River Lake is regulated by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife. Check the official Kentucky regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Rough River Lake 22 mi · Green River (Mammoth Cave) 27 mi · Barren River Lake 31 mi · Jesse W. Thornton Lake 33 mi · Metcalfe County Lake 37 mi · West Fork Drakes Creek Reservoir 48 mi · Green River Lake 49 mi · Ohio River - Cannelton Pool 49 mi, IN/KY · Marion County 51 mi · Mill Creek Lake 52 mi · Lake Malone 54 mi · Saddle Lake 57 mi, IN
See how Nolin River Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kentucky · best walleye lakes in Kentucky · best crappie lakes in Kentucky · best bluegill lakes in Kentucky
Browse all Kentucky 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.