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Fishing Hickory Grove Lake: what the data says
163-acre lake near Story County. Iowa DNR survey water. The lake tops out around 32 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 Hickory Grove Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 32 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Hickory Grove Lake
Spring bluegill on Hickory Grove Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 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 | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Hickory Grove Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 32 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Hickory Grove Lake
Spring yellow perch on Hickory Grove Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 32 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Hickory Grove Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 32 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 32 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 | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday |
Walleye fishing at Hickory Grove Lake
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 32 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 32 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 10 to 32 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 32 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Hickory Grove Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 32 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 30 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 15 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Hickory Grove Lake?
Hickory Grove Lake is about 32 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 Hickory Grove Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Hickory Grove Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Hickory Grove Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 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 Hickory Grove 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
Peterson Pit West · Ankeny Lake (DMACC) · Little Wall Lake · Big Creek Lake · Mariposa Lake · Lower Pine Lake
See how Hickory Grove 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
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.