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Rating depth structure for chain pickerel.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
6-acre lake near Tuckerton. The lake tops out around 7 ft. The depth chart comes from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Pohatcong Lake's chart carries 1.4 miles of bank. A development index of 2.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi, about 0.2 mi across. It sits in Ocean County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Little Egg Harbor, is 5 mi to the east.
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 1 to 7 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 7 ft, and they winter in 2 to 7 ft. Spring chain pickerel concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Spring brown bullhead on Pohatcong Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 7 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 7 ft in summer, 2 to 7 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 7 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
Spring bluegill on Pohatcong Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 7 ft, and by winter most fish are in 2 to 7 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 1 to 7 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 7 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 7 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 2 to 7 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Count 4 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 7 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Jersey waters are set by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Pohatcong Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Jersey fishing regulations →
Pohatcong Lake is about 7 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target chain pickerel, brown bullhead, bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch on Pohatcong Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For chain pickerel, 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 Pohatcong Lake is regulated by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife. Check the official New Jersey regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Little Egg Harbor 5 mi · Lake Absegami 5 mi · Great Bay 6 mi · Little Egg Inlet 9 mi · Mill Pond 10 mi · Barnegat Bay 15 mi · Bargaintown Pond 21 mi · Hammonton Lake 23 mi · Great Egg Harbor Inlet 24 mi · Big Pine Lake 29 mi · Lake Pemberton 30 mi · Manasquan River 37 mi
See how Pohatcong Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best bluegill lakes in New Jersey · best yellow perch lakes in New Jersey · best chain pickerel lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Depth data: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Lake survey maps. 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.