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1,532-acre lake near Canterbury Parish. Government of New Brunswick lake depth survey. The lake tops out around 58 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 1,567 acres wrapped in 11.4 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (2.1) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 47% of this chart, as modeled. The basin spans about 3.3 mi end to end and 2 mi across at its widest. It sits in York County. If the bite dies, La Coote Lake is 4 mi to the south.
Spring smallmouth bass on Skiff Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 15 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (26 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (26 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 18 ft for winter. Spring chain pickerel concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (26 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 26 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (26 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
When the water first warms, white perch slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 49 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (26 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | dusk | Deep basin (49 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Come spring, look for landlocked salmon tight to the bank in 1 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 17 to 58.1 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 40 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 49 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 17 to 58.1 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (49 ft) | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (26 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Skiff Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 49 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Brunswick waters are set by the New Brunswick fishing rules — and special regulations can apply to Skiff Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Brunswick fishing regulations →
Skiff Lake is about 58.1 ft (18 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 smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, brook trout, white perch, landlocked salmon on Skiff Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For smallmouth 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 Skiff Lake is regulated by the New Brunswick fishing rules. Check the official New Brunswick regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
La Coote Lake 4 mi · Amelia Lake 4 mi · Second Eel Lake 6 mi · Sixth Lake 7 mi · First Eel Lake 7 mi · Risteen Deadwater 7 mi · Fifth Lake 8 mi · North Lake 11 mi · Palfrey Lake 11 mi · Liddle Lake 12 mi · Spednic Lake 12 mi, NB/ME · Thompsons Lake 13 mi
See how Skiff Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New Brunswick · best yellow perch lakes in New Brunswick · best brook trout lakes in New Brunswick · best landlocked salmon lakes in New Brunswick
More water nearby: York County fishing maps (30 charts). Browse all New Brunswick 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.