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8,746-acre lake near Skaneateles. The lake tops out around 300 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 follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 8,747 acres, worked by 33.5 miles of shoreline. An index of 2.6 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 4% of this chart. Call it 15 mi long by 2.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. Onondaga County claims this one. Otisco Lake sits 3 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for lake trout tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Offshore hump: an offshore hump around 87 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (11 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (87 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (149 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (87 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Early season landlocked salmon use the shallows, holding in 1 to 15 ft. Summer is a 25 to 60 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 11 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (11 ft) | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (297 ft) | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (11 ft) | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Creek inflow (11 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 35 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Spring walleye concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 11 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Creek inflow (11 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (16 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (185 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (297 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cisco (lake herring) in 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 40 to 80 ft before dropping to 20 to 60 ft for winter. The spot to know is Offshore hump, an offshore hump in about 87 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (297 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (87 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (297 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Start at Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (11 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (149 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (94 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (185 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: chain pickerel in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Top water on the chart: Back-bay flat, a feeding flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Skaneateles Lake also holds rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 17 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 297 ft.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | Rainbow Trout | 15,000 | ~8" |
| May 2025* | Landlocked Salmon | 9,280 | ~6.75" |
| May 2025* | Rainbow Trout | 15,000 | ~8.7" |
| October 2024* | Rainbow Trout | 3,000 | ~4.3" |
| May 2024* | Landlocked Salmon | 9,000 | ~7.4" |
| April 2024* | Rainbow Trout | 15,000 | ~8.5" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: NYSDEC fish-stocking lists, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Skaneateles Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Skaneateles Lake is about 300 ft (91 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 lake trout, landlocked salmon, walleye, cisco (lake herring), smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, rock bass, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp on Skaneateles Lake.
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for landlocked salmon in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per NYSDEC fish-stocking lists records, Skaneateles Lake was most recently stocked 2026 with 15,000 rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Skaneateles Lake is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Otisco Lake 3 mi · Owasco Lake 8 mi · Tully Lake 12 mi · Lake Como 12 mi · Little York Lake 14 mi · Jamesville Reservoir 16 mi · Onondaga Lake 18 mi · Cross Lake 20 mi · Cayuga Lake 21 mi · Otter Lake 22 mi · DeRuyter Reservoir 23 mi · Green Lake 24 mi
See how Skaneateles Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best bluegill lakes in New York · best yellow perch lakes in New York
Browse all New York 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.