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10.7-acre lake near La Harpe. The lake tops out around 14 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's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 10 acres, worked by 0.6 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.2), 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. Hancock County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk), is 15 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 14 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 14 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 14 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 14 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk | Deep basin (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 14 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 14 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| 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 | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The chart marks 3 structure features on La Harpe Reservoir; the deepest is Deep basin at about 14 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to La Harpe Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
La Harpe Reservoir is about 14 ft (4 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 bluegill, channel catfish, largemouth bass, crappie on La Harpe Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For bluegill, 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 La Harpe Reservoir is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) 15 mi, IA/IL · Carthage Reservoir 15 mi · Pollmiller Park Lake 26 mi, IA · Lake Geode 27 mi, IA · Big Hollow Lake 28 mi, IA · Vermont Lake 33 mi · Lake Storey 40 mi · Schuy-Rush Lake 42 mi · Indian Lake 42 mi, IA · Anderson Lake 49 mi · Siloam Springs Lake 49 mi · Canton Lake 51 mi
See how La Harpe Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois 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.