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359-acre lake near Winchester. CT DEEP survey water. The lake tops out around 16 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Winchester Lake maps at 359 acres behind 3.1 miles of shoreline. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. 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 1.3 mi, about 0.6 mi across. Northwest Hills County claims this one. If the bite dies, Park Pond is 2 mi to the south.
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 16 ft, wintering in 5 to 16 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| 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 | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Winchester Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 16 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 5 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 16 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 16 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts rock bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for winter rock bass. Plan around the evening in the warm months. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 4 to 16 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (3 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Spring crappie on Winchester Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 16 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 16 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 16 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Winchester Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Winchester Lake also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), chain pickerel (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 6 structure features on Winchester Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 16 ft.
Access data: Connecticut DEEP — State Boat Launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Connecticut waters are set by the Connecticut DEEP — and special regulations can apply to Winchester Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Winchester Lake is about 16 ft (5 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, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, chain pickerel on Winchester Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Winchester Lake is regulated by the Connecticut DEEP. Check the official Connecticut regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Park Pond 2 mi · Lost Pond 3 mi · Highland Lake 4 mi · Burr Pond 4 mi · Stillwater Pond 5 mi · West Hill Pond 6 mi · West Side Pond 7 mi · Tyler Lake 8 mi · Wood Creek Pond 8 mi · Dog Pond 8 mi · West Branch Reservoir 9 mi · Colebrook River Reservoir 10 mi, CT/MA
See how Winchester Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best northern pike lakes in Connecticut · best crappie lakes in Connecticut · best bluegill lakes in Connecticut
More water nearby: Northwest Hills County fishing maps (28 charts). Browse all Connecticut 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.