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Fishing Upper Chateaugay Lake: what the data says
2,594-acre lake near Dannemora. The lake tops out around 70 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.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Upper Chateaugay Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Upper Chateaugay Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Offshore hump, a offshore hump in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Lake Trout fishing at Upper Chateaugay Lake
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. They move out to 21 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 18 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 70 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 21 to 70 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 18 to 70 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Upper Chateaugay Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Ouleout Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Landlocked Salmon fishing at Upper Chateaugay Lake
In spring, landlocked salmon run shallow here, mostly 1 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Ouleout Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for landlocked salmon in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Upper Chateaugay Lake
Spring brown bullhead on Upper Chateaugay Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring brown bullhead. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday |
Yellow Perch fishing at Upper Chateaugay Lake
Spring yellow perch on Upper Chateaugay Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Upper Chateaugay Lake also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 70 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 55 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 28 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 19 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 14 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 10 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
- Ouleout Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Upper Chateaugay Lake?
Upper Chateaugay Lake is about 70 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Upper Chateaugay Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch, lake trout, landlocked salmon, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Upper Chateaugay Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Chateaugay Lake?
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: a offshore hump in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Upper Chateaugay Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Chazy Lake · Lake Kushaqua · Taylor Pond · Meacham Lake · Ausable River (West Branch) · Lake Clear
See how Upper Chateaugay Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best rainbow trout lakes in New York · best yellow perch lakes in New York · best lake trout lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.