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57-acre lake in Ohio. The lake tops out around 9 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Traced from the shoreline, Oxbow Lake runs 57 acres with 1.2 miles of edge. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.5 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. For a second option, Defiance Reservoir lies 6 mi southeast.
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 9 ft, and they winter in 3 to 9 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Break off the point (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 9 ft, wintering in 3 to 9 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| 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 | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 9 ft, wintering in 3 to 9 ft. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 9 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| 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 | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 9 ft, and they winter in 3 to 9 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) |
When the water first warms, saugeye slide up into 2 to 9 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 9 ft, winter 3 to 9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Spring yellow perch on Oxbow Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 9 ft in summer, 3 to 9 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 9 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ohio waters are set by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Oxbow Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Oxbow Lake is about 9 ft (3 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, saugeye, yellow perch on Oxbow Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 Oxbow Lake is regulated by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife. Check the official Ohio regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Defiance Reservoir 6 mi · Archbold Reservoir Number One 14 mi · Paulding Reservoir 17 mi · McKarns Lake 18 mi · Barton Lake 18 mi · Wauseon 2 Reservoir 19 mi · Harrison Lake 21 mi · Lake Wayne R Carr 22 mi · La Su An La Su An 27 mi · La Su An Lavere 28 mi · Nettle Lake 28 mi · Delta Reservoir 28 mi
See how Oxbow Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best saugeye lakes in Ohio · best crappie lakes in Ohio · best bluegill lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio 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.