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8 km of the Steinhatchee River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 30 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 895 acres of water rimmed by 5.7 miles of bank. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. 96% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 2 mi, about 1.1 mi across. For a second option, McClellan Lake lies 50 mi northeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-channel hole (mile 0.1), a creek channel in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-channel hole (mile 0.1), a creek channel in the 13 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | open water | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | open water | Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-channel hole (mile 0.1), a creek channel in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) |
Spring puts longnose gar in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 1 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for fall longnose gar. Plan around midday and the evening in the warm months. A rope lure or a small white spinner covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | open water | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.1) (13 ft) |
Steinhatchee River carries 1 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Main-channel hole (mile 0.1), about 13 ft down.
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 Steinhatchee River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Steinhatchee River is about 30 ft (9 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 largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, longnose gar on Steinhatchee River. 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-channel hole (mile 0.1) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. 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 Steinhatchee 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.
McClellan Lake 50 mi · Alligator Lake 57 mi · Saint Marks River 58 mi · Wauberg Lake 67 mi · Lake Rousseau 67 mi · Lake Rousseau 68 mi · Butler Lake 68 mi · Newnans Lake 70 mi · Lake Miccosukee 72 mi · Kings Bay 72 mi · Lochloosa Lake 74 mi · Lake Sampson 75 mi
See how Steinhatchee 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
Browse all Florida 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.