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13-acre lake in St. Joseph County, Indiana. The lake tops out around 20 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The chart traces 1.6 miles of shoreline here. A middling shoreline index (1.9) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 97% of this chart. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. It sits in St. Joseph County. South Chain Lake sits 5 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 6 to 20 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 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 (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Pinhook Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 19 ft that grades prime for winter. 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 (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (19 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Pinhook 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 6 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 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 (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 | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 6 to 20 ft game here, winter a 6 to 20 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 19 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 20 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 20 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (3 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 4 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
7 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 19 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to Pinhook Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
Pinhook Lake is about 20 ft (6 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, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, rainbow trout on Pinhook Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Pinhook Lake is regulated by the Indiana DNR. Check the official Indiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
South Chain Lake 5 mi · St. Joseph River 8 mi · Pleasant Lake 11 mi, MI · Worster Lake (Potato Creek) 12 mi · Garver Lake 12 mi, MI · Coberts Lake 13 mi, MI · Eagle Lake 14 mi, MI · Riddles Lake 14 mi · Rupel Lake 15 mi · CHRISTIANA Lake 16 mi, MI · Saugany Lake 16 mi · Dowagiac River 18 mi, MI
See how Pinhook Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best crappie lakes in Indiana · best bluegill lakes in Indiana · best channel catfish lakes in Indiana
More water nearby: St. Joseph County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all Indiana 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.