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210-acre Salem city reservoir (also called Lake John Hay) in the Rush Creek valley north of Salem. Electric motors only, known for bluegill, crappie and quality largemouth. The lake tops out around 26 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
On the chart, John Hays Lake draws 223 acres inside 5.3 miles of shoreline. An index of 2.6 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.5 mi with a 0.9-mi widest point. The water lies in Washington County. The nearest mapped water is Spurgeon Hollow Lake, 6 mi to the east.
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 8 to 26 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Flooded timber pocket (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam-area drop (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Dam-area drop (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Flooded timber pocket, a standing timber / brush in the 8 ft range, good in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Flooded timber pocket (8 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Flooded timber pocket (8 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Dam-area drop (20 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Dam-area drop (20 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 8 to 26 ft. Spring crappie concentrate at Flooded timber pocket, a prime-rated standing timber / brush around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Flooded timber pocket (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Rush Creek channel (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Rush Creek channel (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Rush Creek channel (12 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
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 8 to 26 ft. Rush Creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for summer channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Rush Creek channel (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Rush Creek channel (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | dusk | Rush Creek channel (12 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Rush Creek channel (12 ft) |
The chart marks 4 structure features on John Hays Lake; the deepest is Dam-area drop at about 20 ft.
Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to John Hays Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
John Hays Lake is about 26 ft (8 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish on John Hays Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 John Hays Lake is regulated by the Indiana DNR. Check the official Indiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Spurgeon Hollow Lake 6 mi · Delaney County Park Lake 6 mi · Lake Salinda 8 mi · Starve Hollow Lake 10 mi · Elk Creek Lake 11 mi · Spring Mill Lake 15 mi · Buffalo Trace Lake 19 mi · East Fork White River 20 mi · Schlamm Lake 21 mi · Deam Lake 21 mi · Blue River 22 mi · Hardy Lake 25 mi
See how John Hays Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best crappie lakes in Indiana · best bluegill lakes in Indiana · best channel catfish lakes in Indiana
More water nearby: Washington County fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all Indiana 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.