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1,017-acre lake near Union County. Iowa DNR survey water. The lake tops out around 22 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.
The drawn water covers 1,017 acres wrapped in 4.9 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. 92% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 2 mi end to end and 1.2 mi across at its widest. It sits in Union County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Summit Lake, is 3 mi to the south.
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 7 to 22 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 7 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 22 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 22 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 22 ft. Top water on the chart: Back-bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 7 to 22 ft game here, winter a 7 to 22 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 22 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | dusk | Deep basin (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (22 ft) |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 22 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 22 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for winter walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (22 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Green Valley Lake also holds smallmouth bass (7 to 22 ft in summer), white bass (7 to 22 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 9 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 22 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 Green Valley Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Green Valley Lake is about 22 ft (7 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, walleye, smallmouth bass, white bass on Green Valley 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Green Valley 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.
Summit Lake 3 mi · Hurley Creek Pond 3 mi · McKinley Lake 4 mi · Orient Lake 7 mi · Twelve Mile Creek Lake 7 mi · Three Mile Lake 8 mi · Nodaway Lake 13 mi · Greenfield Lake 14 mi · Mormon Trail Lake 16 mi · Thayer Lake 18 mi · Lake Icaria 18 mi · Binder Lake 18 mi
See how Green Valley Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best smallmouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best white bass lakes in Iowa
More water nearby: Union County fishing maps (7 charts). 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.