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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
205-acre lake in Rutland County, Vermont. The lake tops out around 118 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 203 acres of water rimmed by 2.7 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.3) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. 14% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.9 mi long by 0.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Rutland County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Sunrise Lake, 1 mi northeast of here.
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (100 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in the 6 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (100 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake trout in 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 35 to 118 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 100 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 35 to 118 ft | dawn | Deep basin (100 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (53 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (53 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. Summer smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 30 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (53 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Sunset Lake also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Sunset Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 100 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Vermont waters are set by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Sunset Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Vermont fishing regulations →
Sunset Lake is about 118 ft (36 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 bluegill, brown bullhead, lake trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Sunset Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 100 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For bluegill, 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 Sunset Lake is regulated by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife. Check the official Vermont regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Sunrise Lake 1 mi · Lake Hortonia 3 mi · Burr Pond 4 mi · Echo Lake 5 mi · Beebe Pond 5 mi · Lake Champlain - South Lake 6 mi, NY/VT · Glen Lake 6 mi · Lake Bomoseen 8 mi · Otter Creek 10 mi · Fern Lake 13 mi · Jabe Pond 14 mi, NY · Lake Dunmore 14 mi
See how Sunset Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Vermont · best smallmouth bass lakes in Vermont · best bluegill lakes in Vermont · best rainbow trout lakes in Vermont
More water nearby: Rutland County fishing maps (13 charts). Browse all Vermont 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.