Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
308-acre lake near Nelson. The lake tops out around 40 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Tuscarora Lake maps at 315 acres behind 4.3 miles of shoreline. With a 1.7 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. About 17% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 1.4 mi long by 0.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. Its nearest charted neighbour, Eaton Brook Reservoir, is 3 mi to the east.
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 10 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Break off the point (32 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come fall. 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 | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (32 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 32 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (40 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Come spring, look for brown bullhead tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a feeding flat around 5 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (40 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 32 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (40 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 40 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Tuscarora Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Tuscarora Lake is about 40 ft (12 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 smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, yellow perch on Tuscarora Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For smallmouth 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 Tuscarora Lake is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Eaton Brook Reservoir 3 mi · DeRuyter Reservoir 8 mi · Cazenovia Lake 9 mi · Lebanon Reservoir 9 mi · Green Lake 17 mi · Jamesville Reservoir 18 mi · Tully Lake 20 mi · Balsam Lake 22 mi · Little York Lake 23 mi · Oneida Lake 25 mi · Chenango Lake 25 mi · Otisco Lake 27 mi
See how Tuscarora Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best yellow perch lakes in New York
Browse all New York 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.