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Fishing Fontana Mill Lake: what the data says
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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Fontana Mill Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. 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. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Fontana Mill Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 8 ft, and by winter most fish are in 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Fontana Mill Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 8 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Fontana Mill Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Fontana Mill Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. 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. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Fontana Mill Lake?
Fontana Mill Lake is about 8 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 Fontana Mill Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Fontana Mill Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Fontana Mill Lake?
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Fontana Mill Lake?
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
Volga Lake · Cedar River · Meyers Lake · Harold Getty Lake · Rodgers Park Lake · Wapsipinicon River
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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.