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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
12-acre lake near West Milford. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The outline encloses 12 acres, worked by 0.6 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. The basin spans about 0.3 mi end to end. It sits in Passaic County. If the bite dies, West Pond is 0 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 4 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 6 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is 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 | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 12 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 12 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Come spring, look for brown bullhead tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 12 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | open water | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | Deep basin (12 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 12 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in 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 | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 12 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Jersey waters are set by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Surprise Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Jersey fishing regulations →
Surprise Lake is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, bluegill on Surprise Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Surprise Lake is regulated by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife. Check the official New Jersey regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
West Pond 0 mi · Greenwood Lake 2 mi · Green Turtle Lake 3 mi · Monksville Reservoir 4 mi · Clinton Reservoir 9 mi · Lake Stahahe 10 mi, NY · Walton Lake 11 mi, NY · Silver Lake 11 mi · Lake Sebago 11 mi, NY · Pine Meadow Lake 12 mi, NY · Round Lake 12 mi, NY · Lake Askoti 13 mi, NY
See how Surprise Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best bluegill lakes in New Jersey · best chain pickerel lakes in New Jersey · best brown bullhead lakes in New Jersey
More water nearby: Passaic County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all New Jersey fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.