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76-acre lake near Town of Woodstock. Government of New Brunswick lake depth survey. The lake tops out around 5 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Drawn out, this is 76 acres of water rimmed by 1.6 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. End to end it runs roughly 0.6 mi, about 0.3 mi across. The water lies in Carleton County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Williamstown Lake, 6 mi northwest of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 1 to 4.9 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 4.9 ft through summer, 1 to 4.9 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 5 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4.9 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 1 to 4.9 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (2 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 1 to 4.9 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 1 to 4.9 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for chain pickerel tight to the bank in 1 to 4.9 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 4.9 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 4.9 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4.9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 4.9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 1 to 4.9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 4.9 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 1 to 4.9 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 4.9 ft, winter 1 to 4.9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4.9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 4.9 ft | dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 4.9 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 4.9 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts brook trout in skinny water — 1 to 4.9 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4.9 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4.9 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4.9 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 1 to 4.9 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (4 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 4.9 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 4.9 ft | dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Main-lake point at roughly 5 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Brunswick waters are set by the New Brunswick fishing rules — and special regulations can apply to Payson Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Brunswick fishing regulations →
Payson Lake is about 4.9 ft (1 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 smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, brook trout on Payson Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For smallmouth 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 Payson Lake is regulated by the New Brunswick fishing rules. Check the official New Brunswick regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
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See how Payson Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New Brunswick · best yellow perch lakes in New Brunswick · best brook trout lakes in New Brunswick · best chain pickerel lakes in New Brunswick
Browse all New Brunswick 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.