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Fishing Lake Hendricks: what the data says
76-acre lake near Howard County. Iowa DNR survey water. 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Hendricks
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Lake Hendricks
Spring bluegill on Lake Hendricks hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for winter bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| 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 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Lake Hendricks
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. 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 Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Hendricks
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. 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 | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Hendricks
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Hendricks?
Lake Hendricks is about 14 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 Lake Hendricks?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Lake Hendricks.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Hendricks?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 8 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 Lake Hendricks?
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
Rudd Lake · Shell Rock River · Avenue of the Saints Pond · Lake Meyer · Bluebill Lake · George Wyth Lake
See how Lake Hendricks stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa · best bluegill lakes in Iowa · best channel catfish 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.