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Lake Monroe to DeLand: Florida's big bass river. Hydrilla edges, eelgrass flats and specks in winter. The river tops out around 12 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
St. Johns River maps at 1,382 acres behind 37 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. With a shoreline index of 7.1, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 12.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 3.1 mi at the beam. Volusia County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Trout Lake, is 5 mi to the east.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 12 ft. Start at Hontoon Island backwaters. It's a weed flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Hontoon Island backwaters (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Hontoon Island backwaters (4 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3): a creek channel around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Hontoon Island backwaters (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Hontoon Island backwaters: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 | Hontoon Island backwaters (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Hontoon Island backwaters (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Hontoon Island backwaters (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Hontoon Island backwaters (4 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 12 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 12 ft. Start at Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3). It's a creek channel holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) |
When the water first warms, longnose gar slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 1 to 12 ft game here, winter a 4 to 12 ft one. Start at Hontoon Island backwaters. It's a weed flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run midday and the evening. Keep a rope lure or a small white spinner rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | Hontoon Island backwaters (4 ft) | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | Hontoon Island backwaters (4 ft) | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) (9 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 8 features, led in depth by Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3) at roughly 9 ft.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory. 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 St. Johns River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
St. Johns River is about 12 ft (4 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, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, longnose gar on St. Johns River.
Hontoon Island backwaters is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 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 St. Johns River 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.
Trout Lake 5 mi · Lake Gleason 5 mi · Lake Monroe 8 mi · North Lake Talmadge 10 mi · Lake Woodruff 13 mi · Lake Jesup 14 mi · Lake Dexter 14 mi · Lake Ashby 15 mi · Lake Dalhousie 17 mi · Prevatt Lake 17 mi · Lake Dias 17 mi · Lake Dorr 17 mi
See how St. Johns River 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: Volusia County fishing maps (11 charts). Browse all Florida 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.