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Fishing South Chain Lake: what the data says
31-acre lake near Indiana. The lake tops out around 7 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at South Chain Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at South Chain Lake
Spring crappie on South Chain Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 6 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at South Chain Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish settle into 2 to 7 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Best bite is 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at South Chain Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is South Chain Lake?
South Chain Lake is about 7 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in South Chain Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on South Chain Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on South Chain Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 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.
When is the best time to fish South Chain Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Pinhook Lake · Worster Lake (Potato Creek) · Rupel Lake · Riddles Lake · Saugany Lake · St. Joseph River
See how South Chain Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best crappie lakes in Indiana · best bluegill lakes in Indiana · best channel catfish lakes in Indiana
Browse all Indiana fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.