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5,388-acre lake. Hydroacoustic-surveyed Florida lake (FWC), recovered from a water-connected survey blob by joining contours to its USGS NHD named-waterbody polygon. Standard Florida warmwater roster; species not individually verified. The lake tops out around 28 ft. The depth chart comes from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 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.
The drawn water covers 5,520 acres wrapped in 22.1 miles of bank, with 4 islands in the mix. With a 2.1 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 38% of this chart. Call it 5.8 mi long by 2.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Alachua County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Alto, is 4 mi to the northwest.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Grass flat 2: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat 2 (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Contour break 3 (22 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Grass flat 2 (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Contour break 3 (22 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 28 ft one. Start at Deepest hole. It's a deep basin holding about 28 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.
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 8 ft | midday & dawn | Grass flat 2 (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Contour break 3 (22 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Contour break 3 (22 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deepest hole (28 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Grass flat 2. It's a weed flat holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Grass flat 2 (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat 2 (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Grass flat 2 (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deepest hole (28 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deepest hole: a deep basin around 28 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Grass flat 2 (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deepest hole (28 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deepest hole (28 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest hole (28 ft) |
Spring redear sunfish on Santa Fe Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 4 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 28 ft. Put Grass flat 2 first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a micro jig or a small soft-plastic nymph.
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 10 ft | midday & dusk | Grass flat 2 (5 ft) | Micro jig dragged near bottom, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Grass flat 2 (5 ft) | Micro jig, Small soft-plastic nymph |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Contour break 3 (22 ft) | Tiny jig tipped with worm, Micro spoon |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deepest hole (28 ft) | Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, white bass & hybrids slide up into 3 to 15 ft. Summer is an 8 to 28 ft game here, winter an 8 to 28 ft one. Start at Deepest hole. It's a deep basin holding about 28 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) rigged through the warm months.
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 | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shell bar 3 (2 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Contour break 3 (22 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Contour break 3 (22 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest hole (28 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
11 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deepest hole, around 28 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — and special regulations can apply to Santa Fe Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Santa Fe Lake is about 28 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, redear sunfish, white bass & hybrids on Santa Fe Lake.
Grass flat 2 is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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 Santa Fe Lake is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Check the official Florida regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Alto 4 mi · Lake Brooklyn 5 mi · Lowry Lake 8 mi · Sheeler Lake 10 mi · Cowpen Lake 11 mi · Newnans Lake 11 mi · Lake Sampson 14 mi · Star Lake 15 mi · Wauberg Lake 20 mi · Lochloosa Lake 20 mi · Orange Lake 20 mi · Rodman Reservoir 24 mi
See how Santa Fe Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Florida · best crappie lakes in Florida · best bluegill lakes in Florida · best channel catfish lakes in Florida
More water nearby: Alachua County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all Florida fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Depth data: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Hydroacoustic lake surveys. 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.