Indiana lake depth maps
North Chain Lake depth map
North Chain Lake in Indiana reaches a depth of 32 feet. North Chain Lake is charted here across 29 closed depth contours, from the 4 ft line down to 32 ft, enclosing about 67 acres of water. Half of that water lies inside the 20 ft line, and only under an acre lie inside the deepest one. Every contour is on the interactive map below, free and without an account.
Data: Indiana DNR Lake Bathymetry (credit: Indiana DNR). Contours closed, checked and area-computed by Jordan Carter, founder of GilledIt · page updated
North Chain Lake depth chart: 29 depth contours from 4 to 32 ft
Data: Indiana DNR Lake Bathymetry (credit: Indiana DNR), retrieved August 2026 · depths change over time · not for navigation
| Depth contour | Water inside it | Share of mapped water |
|---|---|---|
| 4 ft | 67 acres | 100% |
| 5 ft | 63 acres | 95% |
| 6 ft | 61 acres | 91% |
| 7 ft | 58 acres | 87% |
| 8 ft | 56 acres | 84% |
| 9 ft | 54 acres | 81% |
| 10 ft | 52 acres | 78% |
| 11 ft | 51 acres | 76% |
| 12 ft | 49 acres | 73% |
| 13 ft | 47 acres | 71% |
| 14 ft | 45 acres | 67% |
| 15 ft | 43 acres | 65% |
| 16 ft | 41 acres | 62% |
| 17 ft | 39 acres | 58% |
| 18 ft | 36 acres | 54% |
| 19 ft | 35 acres | 52% |
| 20 ft | 32 acres | 49% |
| 21 ft | 31 acres | 46% |
| 22 ft | 28 acres | 43% |
| 23 ft | 26 acres | 39% |
| 24 ft | 24 acres | 36% |
| 25 ft | 22 acres | 33% |
| 26 ft | 20 acres | 30% |
| 27 ft | 18 acres | 28% |
| 28 ft | 16 acres | 24% |
| 29 ft | 14 acres | 20% |
| 30 ft | 8 acres | 12% |
| 31 ft | 2.1 acres | 3.2% |
| 32 ft | under 1 acre | under 1% |
Acreages are computed from the closed Indiana DNR Lake Bathymetry contour rings, with islands subtracted. Shares are of the 67 acres inside the outermost charted contour (the 4 ft line), which is the outer edge of the mapped water, several state files carry no 0 ft shoreline line, so this is not the same as a share of the lake's published surface area.
Fishing North Chain Lake: steep sides for its size
The survey encloses about 67 acres of North Chain Lake inside its 4 ft contour, and half of that water lies inside the 20 ft line, so the bottom holds its depth well out from the bank rather than tapering off a long shallow margin. Between 29 and 30 ft the mapped water sheds 6 acres in 1 ft of depth, the sharpest change on the chart, start on that band, because it is where the bottom stops being flat. The 32 ft contour, toward the northwestern corner of the lake, encloses under an acre of water, a single pocket rather than a basin, but one worth a drift over in high summer. With 32 ft at its deepest there is no true cold-water layer here, so structure does the work the thermocline does elsewhere: fish the points and inside turns where the 29 and 30 ft lines pinch together, hardest in early season and again as fish follow bait back down in autumn.
Ice fishing on North Chain Lake
North Chain Lake's 32 ft is a workable ice depth, enough water to hold fish all winter, without the slow freeze-up of a big basin. First light belongs on the 32 ft hole, all 0.2 acres of it; as the sun gets up, move onto the 29–30 ft break, and spend the middle of the day on the flats inside the 20 ft line. Check ice thickness locally before you walk out.
North Chain Lake depth map FAQs
- How deep is North Chain Lake?
- North Chain Lake reaches a maximum depth of 32 feet in the Indiana DNR Lake Bathymetry survey. Most of it is far shallower: the survey charts 29 closed depth contours over about 67 acres, and half of that water sits inside the 20 ft line.
- Where is the deepest part of North Chain Lake?
- The deepest charted water on North Chain Lake lies inside the 32 ft contour, toward the northwestern corner of the lake. That contour encloses under an acre, under 1% of the mapped water, so it is a small target on a small water, the depth chart above gives the contour to line up on.
- How much of North Chain Lake is shallower than 20 feet?
- About half. The 20 ft contour encloses 32 acres of the roughly 67 acres inside the outer 4 ft line, so the other half of the water is shallower than 20 feet. The sharpest drop is between 29 and 30 feet, where the mapped water sheds 6 acres.
- How accurate is this North Chain Lake depth map?
- The contours come from the Indiana DNR Lake Bathymetry survey, retrieved August 2026 and last rebuilt on August 19, 2026. Depths change over time with water levels and sediment, so treat this map as a planning guide for fishing, and never use it for navigation. Per Indiana DNR, the data are graphical representations for reference only, not a survey instrument. Acreages are computed from the published contour geometry, not from a separate area survey, so read them as close approximations.
Depth maps for lakes near North Chain Lake
- Worster Lake depth map · 18 ft max · 10 mi away
- Saugany Lake depth map · 60 ft max · 11 mi away
- Cedar Lake depth map · 25 ft max · 12 mi away
- Hog Lake depth map · 50 ft max · 13 mi away
- Riddles Lake depth map · 18 ft max · 15 mi away
Mapped fishing venues near North Chain Lake
North Chain Lake in the venue directory covers access and fishing details for this water.
- Worster Lake · 10 mi away
- Saugany Lake · 11 mi away
- Cedar Lake · 12 mi away
Fishing in Indiana needs a state license: Indiana fishing license guide · all Indiana venues