Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Centerville Lower Reservoir
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Centerville Lower Reservoir: what the data says
43-acre reservoir near Appanoose County. Iowa DNR survey water. The lake tops out around 18 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.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Centerville Lower Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Centerville Lower Reservoir
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 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 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Centerville Lower Reservoir
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Centerville Lower Reservoir
Spring yellow perch on Centerville Lower Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Centerville Lower Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 18 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 | 5 to 18 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday |
Walleye fishing at Centerville Lower Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 18 ft, rated prime for winter walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 18 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Centerville Lower Reservoir?
Centerville Lower Reservoir is about 18 ft 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 Centerville Lower Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Centerville Lower Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Centerville Lower Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Centerville Lower Reservoir?
For largemouth bass, 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
Centerville Upper Reservoir · Lake Wapello · Albia Upper Reservoir · Albia Lower Reservoir · Lake Miami · Lake Fisher
See how Centerville Lower Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa · best bluegill lakes in Iowa
Browse all Iowa fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.