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25-acre lake in St. Joseph County, Indiana. The lake tops out around 9 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Rupel Lake maps at 30 acres behind 0.8 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.3 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. It sits in St. Joseph County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Worster Lake (Potato Creek), is 3 mi to the northeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 2 to 9 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 9 ft through summer, 3 to 9 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 9 ft, and they winter in 3 to 9 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 9 ft game here, winter a 3 to 9 ft one. 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 bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring largemouth bass on Rupel Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 9 ft in summer, 3 to 9 ft once it turns cold. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 9 ft game here, winter a 3 to 9 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 9 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 9 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 9 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Rupel Lake also holds channel catfish (3 to 9 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 9 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to Rupel Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
Rupel Lake is about 9 ft (3 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 walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Rupel Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Rupel 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.
Worster Lake (Potato Creek) 3 mi · Riddles Lake 8 mi · Koontz Lake 8 mi · South Chain Lake 11 mi · Dixon Lake 14 mi · Pinhook Lake 15 mi · Saugany Lake 16 mi · Myers Lake 16 mi · Hog Lake 17 mi · Lawrence Lake 17 mi · Stone Lake 18 mi · St. Joseph River 19 mi
See how Rupel Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best walleye lakes in Indiana · best northern pike lakes in Indiana · best crappie 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.