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44-acre lake near Buchanan County. Iowa DNR survey water. The lake tops out around 8 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Fontana Mill Lake runs 44 acres with 1.2 miles of edge. Nearly circular (index 1.3), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. End to end it runs roughly 0.5 mi, about 0.2 mi across. You'll find it in Buchanan County. The nearest mapped water is Volga Lake, 21 mi to the north.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 8 ft; cold water stacks them in 2 to 8 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 8 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 8 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 8 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 8 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 8 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 8 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Iowa waters are set by the Iowa DNR — and special regulations can apply to Fontana Mill Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Fontana Mill Lake is about 8 ft (2 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish on Fontana Mill Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Fontana Mill Lake is regulated by the Iowa DNR. Check the official Iowa regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Volga Lake 21 mi · Meyers Lake 22 mi · Harold Getty Lake 22 mi · George Wyth Lake 25 mi · Cedar River 25 mi · Green Belt Lake 26 mi · Wapsipinicon River 28 mi · South Prairie Lake 29 mi · Rodgers Park Lake 30 mi · Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake) 31 mi · Silver Lake (Delaware) 32 mi · Avenue of the Saints Pond 33 mi
See how Fontana Mill Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa · best bluegill lakes in Iowa · best channel catfish lakes in Iowa
Browse all Iowa 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.