Small lake breakdown

[GoneFishingLTN]

https://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/fish/maps/wos20.pdf

Is the lake that is throwing me off.

I see the obvious points but does anything else stand out to you?

 

 

species 

 

• Black Bullhead
• Black Crappie
• Bluegill
• Channel Catfish
• Green Sunfish
• Largemouth Bass
• Muskellunge
• Redear Sunfish
• White Crappie
• Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass)

[Deleted account]

I wouldn't even think about points until after the spawn in a lake like that, I'd look for them in 12'- to 6' adjacent to spawning areas, and in 2'-5' in the spawning areas. Bass tend to spawn in the same places from year to year (populations, not necessarily individuals) so some intel there would go a long way. Id split that lake down the middle, and figure if the right side or left side holds more fish. I'm thinking the right side first. Or just ride around staring at the FF screen...

[nmatthes]

Iowa lakes have been man made so anything that is structure and natural to the bottom of the lake has been silted in. Most natural lakes you would be looking for channel swings, hard spots, creek channels, etc.

 

I would find isolated cover and fish it. Most lakes in Iowa have DNR made cover that most people without fish finders do not know about. I would start by finding isolated structure and then go from there. 

[Basser2021]

1 hour ago, Deleted account said:

I wouldn't even think about points until after the spawn in a lake like that, I'd look for them in 12'- to 6' adjacent to spawning areas, and in 2'-5' in the spawning areas. Bass tend to spawn in the same places from year to year (populations, not necessarily individuals) so some intel there would go a long way. Id split that lake down the middle, and figure if the right side or left side holds more fish. I'm thinking the right side first. Or just ride around staring at the FF screen...

What he said

[papajoe222]

That flat in the northeast (upper right) corner looks like a prime area for spawning.

The point directly below could be the one used in pre-spawn and post-spawn movements. The point itself should produce throughout the season.

[WRB]

Will take a closer look tomorrow. The fact your small lake has top predator Musky, the bass don’t own the best areas.

Tom

[PhishLI]

Around here we have many shallow manmade water bodies. Early spawners typically build beds 1st on different sections of western shorelines in 18" -3' of water.  Shorelines facing the rising sun basically. As the sunrise shifts to the east over time more beds appear starting on NW sections first then eventually down to SW sections. Shallow water edges that get sun first and warm up first get beds first. Emerging lily pad sprouts and weed growth follows this pattern. Fishing anywhere outside these areas up until the spawn is a good bet as that's a good place to find staging fish. In the meantime schooling crappie get voracious soon and will be pushing bait all over the place, which leads to tight bite windows. Find them and you can usually find bass nearby where deeper water transitions to shallower water.

[T-Billy]

That lake looks to me like it sets up similar to the small impoundments we have here in OH. Mid lake will warm faster than the lower end while still providing the fish with deeper water to retreat to. I'd start by running those little mid lake points on the northern side paying particular attention to the corners leading into the little pockets.

[Choporoz]

I can't give better advice than above.   But I just wanted to say that I am impressed with your DNR for offering a great map.

[BigAngus752]

Oh man, are the depth labels correct?  Depending on water temp, recent weather, etc. I would be hammering the two extreme ends.  First I'd hit the flats on the right where @Deleted account and @papajoe222 are talking about on the east (deep).  If that didn't load the boat (water too clear, east is coldest water, etc.) then I would be waaaaayyy up in the dirt on the west side scraping the bottom near that bridge where there is fresh/warm/muddy water coming in.  That's the kind of stuff I like in the spring and fall.  I have my push pole right next to me on deck.  

[Way north bass guy]

Is there much on the lake for docks? If so, I’d be trying around them first thing, especially in the shallower areas where it’s warmer. Failing that, I’d look for any wood ( laydowns, stumps etc. ), again, closer to the major spawning areas. 

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

I can't give better advice than above.   But I just wanted to say that I am impressed with your DNR for offering a great map.

I got a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy paper one of Brittle when I first moved to Virginia....

[Jigfishn10]

That whole northeast section looks real promising for early season bassn. You got deeper water that finger out in a few different directions that lead to spawning type flats. 

[WRB]

The cove in the center of the lake  facing north with 3-12 staging point is very obviously the primary location on this lake. Wind is usually out of the west (?) so comes facing north or east are protected for spawning period. Bass are not going to travel far from where the live. 

Without knowing the structure/cover make up start at the deep break on the west side of the middle point and work up your way into the back. Everything you need to know about this lake can be answered quickly.

I would also work the next cove and rounded point west. 

Edit; adding the south shore mid lake boat ramp cove has a classic point that should hold Bass year around. The 6’ flat to 8’ out to 15’ is my favorite type of structure. The down side is the proximity to the ramp. Often anglers don’t like to fish that near where they start so check it out.

Tom 

[softwateronly]

I would definitely follow everyone on this thread, but I wouldn't leave the water without spending some time mid-lake, just W of the large rounded point, on that 6-9' flat on the N shore, concentrating on the sharp 3-6' breaks.  It's the type of do nothing water that has continuously surprised me over the years in prespawn.

 

scott

[Koz]

As the water begins to warm, I like to work the coves that have a rapid transition from deeper water to shallow water. I'm looking for bass hanging out looking to make a run up the hill to feed as the baitfish move in to shallower water. As I move in I'll start targeting any structure. As I move back out I'll target any structure I missed, but also target the center channel looking for bass coming up the hill, especially if there's a stream bed.

 

The caveat here is that I fish from a kayak, and where I fish between the wind, current, and the abundance of pleasure boaters I prefer to stick to quieter coves and spend time picking them apart. 

[Bluebasser86]

Looking at it on Google, you've got a good amount of standing timber to play with. Quite a few spots where your have tight contour lines close to the shoreline where you're going to have fast drops, good spots to look early in the season and the coves close to those points with quick drops are likely where they'll pull into first since those have deeper water the closest to them. Overall, the south side of the lake looks better to me just through the eye test, but on the water and Google maps might look completely different. I like the last little bit of deeper water on the west end before you hit the big shallow flats also, that would warm very quickly during a warming trend. 

[CrashVector]

I'd find the grass and start there.  Working my way from sparse cover into the thicker stuff.

 

This time of year, I'd be going more shallow, specifically shallow grass that has deeper water nearby.  

[Boomstick]

I'm thinking the east and west end both look promising. Like they say, 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water and this is likely to apply here as much as ever, so chances are one will be a bust and the other might get you some bites. I would be more inclined to start off with the flats on each end and to move on to points if you have no success there. The cove in the north central area would make an excellent transition point for bass on the west side from shallow to deeper water (I have a lake with a shallow side and a similar point and that spot can be money!) and the secondary points on the channel on the east side also look promising. There are a few potential transition points on the east side.

 

So I would start by figuring out which side holds the bass.

[scaleface]

What stands out to me is the number of small coves . Man , that north band looks like a good area to put the trolling motor down and go junk fishing until a pattern is found .