Lake Dexter fishing: Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Chain Pickerel

Target species: Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Chain Pickerel, White Catfish, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Redear
Best months: Mar, Apr, May for Largemouth Bass
Second window: Apr, May, Jun for Channel Catfish
Boat: 3 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Powell's Campground, 1 lane, concrete.

The lake

Lake Dexter covers 2,022 acres in Florida, across 2 counties: Volusia and Lake. It is a lake: the deepest point measured is 18.1 feet (5.5 m). Our records hold 21 species for this water.

7 target fish, led by Largemouth Bass

  • Largemouth Bass (Florida bass, black bass) — Best months: Mar, Apr, May. Spawns Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May. A trophy starts at 8 lb. Holds in weed beds, open water and drop-offs. What works here: golden shiner, plastic worm, soft plastic, crankbait and topwater.
  • Channel Catfish (channel cat) — Best months: Apr, May, Jun. Spawns Apr, May, Jun. A trophy starts at 12 lb. Holds in current, deep holes, drop-offs and timber and stumps. What works here: chicken liver, cut bait, stink bait, worm and live bait.
  • Chain Pickerel (pickerel) — Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Feb. Spawns Feb, Mar, Apr. A trophy starts at 3 lb. Holds in weed beds and marsh. What works here: spinnerbait, spoon, topwater, crankbait and jig.
  • White Catfish (whites) — Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep. Usually 1–2 lb. A trophy starts at 5 lb. Holds in current, deep holes, drop-offs and timber and stumps. What works here: live bait, minnow, worm, cut bait and chicken liver.
  • Black Crappie (speck, specks) — Best months: Jan, Feb. Spawns Feb, Mar, Apr. Holds in open water and weed beds. What works here: minnow, grass shrimp, jig, bobber and drifting.
  • Bluegill (bream) — Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug. Holds in shallow flats and spillways. What works here: worm, cricket, grass shrimp, bobber and beetle-spin.
  • Redear (shellcracker, bream) — Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul. Spawns Mar, Apr. What works here: worm.

Also recorded here: Warmouth, Flier, Redbreast, Spotted Sunfish, Sunshine Bass, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Common Carp.

Depth: down to 18.1 ft at the deepest measured point

Deepest measured point: 18.1 ft (5.5 m). We hold 21 depth contours for this water, drawn from 2,261 soundings.

  • 0–1 ft: 14.7% of the surveyed bottom
  • 1–2 ft: 17.5% of the surveyed bottom
  • 2–3 ft: 34.7% of the surveyed bottom
  • 3–4 ft: 12.7% of the surveyed bottom
  • 4–5 ft: 19.8% of the surveyed bottom
  • 5–7 ft: 0.6% of the surveyed bottom
  • 7–9 ft: 0.1% of the surveyed bottom

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 75°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. The coldest single reading we hold is 62°F and the warmest is 91°F; the warmest monthly average is 86°F. pH averages 7.3. These readings span 2016–2025.

3 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 2 trailer ramps, 1 hand launch and 1 fishing pier.

  • Astor Landing Campground and Boat Ramp — 1 lane, marina, concrete, paid, flush restrooms, dock, wheelchair access. Astor. 25934 Holmar Drive, Astor 32102 · website astorlanding.com
  • Powell's Campground — 1 lane, concrete, parking for 20 trailers (soft unpaved), paid, open around the clock, flush restrooms. Astor. 25716 Powell Drive, Astor 32102 · website powellscampground.com

Car-top and kayak launches — no trailer

  • Lake George State Forest Bluffton Recreation Area Canoe Launch — hand launch, portable restrooms, wheelchair access. Pierson, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. St. Johns River Road, Pierson 32180 · website fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Lake-George-State-Forest

Fishing piers

  • Lake George State Forest - Blufton Recreationa Area — no fee, restrooms, monofilament recycling bin, wheelchair access. Astor, FL Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. End of St. Johns River Rd., Astor 32102

2 of the 4 places listed have both a fee and opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

What is hard here

Only 3 public ramps are on file, so the launch decides where you fish. Alligators live in Florida fresh water. Keep clear of the bank edge at dawn and dusk, and keep pets away from it. Summer water sits at 86°F: heat and afternoon lightning are the real risks, not the fishing.

Where this data comes from

  • USACE eHydro — USACE eHydro channel surveys: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Florida FWC — FWC Florida lake bathymetry: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA National Bathymetric Source (S-102 ed3.0.0) — NOAA S-102 bathymetric surfaces: contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: soundings: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA BlueTopo: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.