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153-acre lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana. The lake tops out around 6 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, The Backwaters draws 157 acres inside 3.4 miles of shoreline. Index 2 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 1.2 mi, about 0.5 mi across. The water lies in Kosciusko County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Kiser Lake, 0 mi southeast of here.
Spring yellow perch on The Backwaters hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 6 ft in summer, 2 to 6 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 6 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 6 ft, and they winter in 2 to 6 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 6 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Fall crappie concentrate at Old creek channel, a prime-rated creek channel around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 6 ft through summer, 2 to 6 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 6 ft, and they winter in 2 to 6 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 8 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 6 ft.
Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to The Backwaters specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
The Backwaters is about 6 ft (2 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 yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on The Backwaters. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on The Backwaters is regulated by the Indiana DNR. Check the official Indiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Kiser Lake 0 mi · Webster Lake 1 mi · Baugher Lake 3 mi · Big Barbee 3 mi · Spear Lake 3 mi · Shock Lake 3 mi · Gordy Lake 3 mi · James Lake (Tippy Chain) 3 mi · Duely Lake 4 mi · Harper Lake 4 mi · Village Lake 4 mi · Lake Tippecanoe 5 mi
See how The Backwaters stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best northern pike lakes in Indiana · best crappie lakes in Indiana · best bluegill lakes in Indiana
More water nearby: Kosciusko County fishing maps (16 charts). Browse all Indiana 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.