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1,238-acre lake in New York. The lake tops out around 19 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 1,236 acres wrapped in 15.6 miles of bank. A development index of 3.2 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 90% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 3.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 3.5 mi at the beam. If the bite dies, Lake George is 7 mi to the northwest.
Spring largemouth bass on South Bay Lake Champlain hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 19 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 19 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 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 (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on South Bay Lake Champlain hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 19 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 16 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 6 to 19 ft game here, winter a 6 to 19 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 16 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 (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
South Bay Lake Champlain carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 16 ft down.
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 South Bay Lake Champlain specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
South Bay Lake Champlain is about 19 ft (6 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, crappie on South Bay Lake Champlain.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated 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 South Bay Lake Champlain 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.
Lake George 7 mi · Jabe Pond 11 mi · Glen Lake 13 mi, VT · Lake St. Catherine 14 mi, VT · Lake Bomoseen 14 mi, VT · Lake Champlain - South Lake 15 mi, NY/VT · Brant Lake 16 mi · Sunset Lake 17 mi, VT · Glen Lake 17 mi · Sunrise Lake 17 mi, VT · Lake Hortonia 18 mi, VT · Beebe Pond 18 mi, VT
See how South Bay Lake Champlain stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best crappie lakes in New York · best bluegill lakes in New York · best channel catfish lakes in New York
Browse all New York 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.