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43-acre lake near Adair County. Iowa DNR survey water. The lake tops out around 30 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The outline encloses 43 acres, worked by 1.1 miles of shoreline. Its 1.1 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. About 59% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. It sits in Adair County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Nodaway Lake, is 8 mi to the northeast.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 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 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (14 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 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 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 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 9 to 30 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run 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 | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 30 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 9 to 30 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. Winter walleye concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 30 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (14 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (14 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & night | Secondary point (14 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Mormon Trail Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 5 structure features on Mormon Trail Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 30 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Iowa waters are set by the Iowa DNR — and special regulations can apply to Mormon Trail Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Mormon Trail Lake is about 30 ft (9 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, walleye, smallmouth bass, white bass on Mormon Trail 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 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.
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 Mormon Trail 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.
Nodaway Lake 8 mi · Greenfield Lake 9 mi · Orient Lake 11 mi · Lake Icaria 14 mi · Meadow Lake 14 mi · Lake Anita 15 mi · Green Valley Lake 16 mi · Binder Lake 17 mi · Summit Lake 17 mi · Hurley Creek Pond 18 mi · McKinley Lake 18 mi · Twelve Mile Creek Lake 22 mi
See how Mormon Trail Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best smallmouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best white bass lakes in Iowa
More water nearby: Adair County fishing maps (5 charts). 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.