Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
2,260-acre lake in Christian County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 40 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Sangchris Lake maps at 2,174 acres behind 73.3 miles of shoreline. An index of 11.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 75% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 6.9 mi with a 5.3-mi widest point. Christian County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Springfield, is 11 mi to the northwest.
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 20 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Old creek channel. It's a creek channel holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for flathead catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 34 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (34 ft) | |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) |
Spring freshwater drum on Sangchris Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 40 ft. Put Old creek channel first on the milk run — a creek channel near 20 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run the evening. The summer box starts with a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Sangchris Lake also holds striped bass (12 to 40 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 6 structure features on Sangchris Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 34 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Sangchris Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Sangchris Lake is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass on Sangchris Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For bluegill, 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 Sangchris Lake is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Springfield 11 mi · Taylorville Lake 14 mi · Sangamon River 19 mi · Sunset Lake 23 mi · Otter Lake 26 mi · Lake Lou Yaeger 27 mi · Lake Glenn Shoals 27 mi · Carlinville Lake 32 mi · Lake Decatur 36 mi · Lake Jacksonville 38 mi · Mauvaise Terre Lake 39 mi · Greenfield Lake 42 mi
See how Sangchris Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best white bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.