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29-acre lake near O'Brien 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.
The drawn water covers 29 acres wrapped in 0.9 miles of bank. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other. O'Brien County claims this one. Dog Creek (Lake) sits 11 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 14 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 14 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 7 ft that grades prime for fall. 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (7 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (7 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Mill Creek (Lake) hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 14 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 14 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 14 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring crappie on Mill Creek (Lake) hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 14 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 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 |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 14 ft, wintering in 4 to 14 ft. Fall yellow perch concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 14 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 14 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 14 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 14 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| 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) |
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 14 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Iowa waters are set by the Iowa DNR — and special regulations can apply to Mill Creek (Lake) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Mill Creek (Lake) 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish on Mill Creek (Lake). This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Mill Creek (Lake) is regulated by the Iowa DNR. Check the official Iowa regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Dog Creek (Lake) 11 mi · Stolley Pit 27 mi · Westport Park Pond 28 mi · Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake) 34 mi · Silver Lake (Dickinson) 36 mi · Rock Valley Pit 36 mi · Bella 36 mi, MN · Lower Gar Lake 37 mi · Indian 37 mi, MN · Minnewashta Lake 38 mi · Little Sioux Park Lake 38 mi · Upper Gar Lake 38 mi
See how Mill Creek (Lake) 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 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.