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Fishing Ridenour Lake: what the data says
16-acre lake near Nitro. The lake tops out around 13 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Ridenour Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Ridenour Lake
Spring crappie on Ridenour Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Ridenour Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Ridenour Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 13 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 7 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 13 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Ridenour Lake?
Ridenour Lake is about 13 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Ridenour Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, rainbow trout on Ridenour Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Ridenour Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
O'Brien Lake · Woodrum Lake · Upper Mud River Lake · Rollins Lake · Elk Fork Lake · Krodel Lake
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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.