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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
80-acre reservoir in Polk County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 8 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Drawn out, this is 81 acres of water rimmed by 2.7 miles of bank. Index 2.1 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. The basin spans about 0.8 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Polk County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Little Horseshoe Lake, 2 mi north of here.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 8 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 8 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish settle into 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for pumpkinseed tight to the bank in 1 to 8 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 8 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 8 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Main-lake point, sits near 8 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Joel Flowage specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Joel Flowage is about 8 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target yellow perch, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Joel Flowage. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Joel Flowage is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Little Horseshoe Lake 2 mi · Gilbert Lake 3 mi · Silver Lake 3 mi · Skinaway Lake 3 mi · Hillman Lake 4 mi · Camelia Lake 4 mi · Little Round Lake 4 mi · Little Moon Lake 5 mi · Magnor Lake 5 mi · Horseshoe Lake 5 mi · Barbo Lake 5 mi · Beautiful Lake 5 mi
See how Joel Flowage stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Polk County fishing maps (118 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.