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59-acre reservoir near Wayne County. Iowa DNR survey water. The lake tops out around 16 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 59 acres wrapped in 1.2 miles of bank. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Call it 0.5 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Wayne County. Corydon Reservoir sits 13 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 5 to 16 ft game here, winter a 5 to 16 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Humeston Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 16 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring crappie on Humeston Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 16 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 16 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 16 ft game here, winter a 5 to 16 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 16 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 16 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (5 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Secondary point (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The chart marks 7 structure features on Humeston Reservoir; the deepest is Deep basin at about 16 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 Humeston Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Humeston Reservoir is about 16 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, walleye on Humeston Reservoir. 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 4 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 Humeston Reservoir 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.
Corydon Reservoir 13 mi · Bob White Lake 13 mi · Red Haw Lake 15 mi · Ellis Lake 15 mi · Little River Watershed Lake 16 mi · Morris Lake 16 mi · East Lake (Osceola) 16 mi · West Lake (Osceola) 19 mi · Williamson Pond 21 mi · Nine Eagles Lake 24 mi · Slip Bluff Lake 24 mi · Rathbun Lake 27 mi
See how Humeston Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa · best bluegill lakes in Iowa
Browse all Iowa fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.