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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
16-acre lake near Nitro. The lake tops out around 13 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
There are 0.9 miles of drawn shoreline to work. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.3 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. It sits in Kanawha County. If the bite dies, Woodrum Lake is 20 mi to the northeast.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 5 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 4 to 13 ft game here, winter a 4 to 13 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 13 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) |
Spring rainbow trout on Ridenour Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 13 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 13 ft in summer, 3 to 13 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 7 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 13 ft | dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 13 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for West Virginia waters are set by the West Virginia DNR — and special regulations can apply to Ridenour Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official West Virginia fishing regulations →
Ridenour Lake is about 13 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, rainbow trout on Ridenour Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. 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 Ridenour Lake is regulated by the West Virginia DNR. Check the official West Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Woodrum Lake 20 mi · O'Brien Lake 22 mi · Upper Mud River Lake 22 mi · Rollins Lake 28 mi · Elk Fork Lake 29 mi · Beech Fork Lake 31 mi · Krodel Lake 33 mi · Timbre Ridge Lake 35 mi, OH · East Lynn Lake 35 mi · Charles Fork Lake 35 mi · Ohio River - Greenup Pool 38 mi, OH/KY/WV · Wallback Lake 40 mi
See how Ridenour Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in West Virginia · best crappie lakes in West Virginia · best channel catfish lakes in West Virginia · best rainbow trout lakes in West Virginia
Browse all West Virginia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.