Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Grays Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Grays Lake: what the data says
107-acre lake near Polk County. Iowa DNR survey water. The lake tops out around 12 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 Grays Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring 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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Grays Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Grays Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 12 ft that scores prime 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 | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Grays Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Grays Lake
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 12 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 12 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 11 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Grays Lake?
Grays Lake is about 12 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 Grays Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Grays Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Grays Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 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 Grays 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
Fort Des Moines Pond · Easter Lake · Ankeny Lake (DMACC) · Big Creek Lake · Lake Ahquabi · Badger Creek Lake
See how Grays 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.