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Fishing West Pond: what the data says
4-acre pond near Cape May C.H. The lake tops out around 34 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.
Rainbow Trout fishing at West Pond
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 34 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shoreline break: a drop-off around 22 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 34 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 7 to 34 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at West Pond
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 34 ft. Shoreline break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for winter largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Chain Pickerel fishing at West Pond
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Brown Bullhead fishing at West Pond
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 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 weed flat around 13 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| 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 |
Channel Catfish fishing at West Pond
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 34 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 31 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday |
Yellow Perch fishing at West Pond
Spring yellow perch on West Pond hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 34 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 31 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. 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 | 10 to 34 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 34 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
West Pond also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 31 ft
- Shoreline break: drop-off, around 22 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 13 ft
Common questions
How deep is West Pond?
West Pond is about 34 ft (10 m) deep 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 West Pond?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, rainbow trout, yellow perch, common carp, chain pickerel, brown bullhead on West Pond.
Where is the best fishing spot on West Pond?
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish West Pond?
For rainbow trout, 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
Surprise Lake · Greenwood Lake · Green Turtle Lake · Monksville Reservoir · Clinton Reservoir · Silver Lake
See how West Pond stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best crappie lakes in New Jersey · best bluegill lakes in New Jersey · best channel catfish lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.