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Fishing Lake Vesuvius: what the data says
143-acre forest lake near Ironton. The lake tops out around 20 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Vesuvius
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Vesuvius hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Lake Vesuvius
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Lake Vesuvius
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Vesuvius
Spring channel catfish on Lake Vesuvius hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 17 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 17 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Vesuvius?
Lake Vesuvius is about 20 ft 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.
What fish are in Lake Vesuvius?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Lake Vesuvius.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Vesuvius?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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 Vesuvius?
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
Ohio River - Greenup Pool · Timbre Ridge Lake · Jackson Lake · Tycoon Lake · Lake Rupert (Wellston Reservoir) · Lake White
See how Lake Vesuvius stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best crappie lakes in Ohio · best bluegill lakes in Ohio · best channel catfish lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.