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Fishing Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir: what the data says
11-acre reservoir near Ringgold County. 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Crappie fishing at Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Best bite is 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 | 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 |
Bluegill fishing at Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in winter. 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 |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 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 Main-lake point: a point around 4 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| 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 |
Channel Catfish fishing at Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 4 to 14 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 14 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. 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 |
Yellow Perch fishing at Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir
Spring yellow perch on Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| 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) |
Walleye fishing at Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 14 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 12 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir?
Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir 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 Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir?
For crappie, 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
Loch Ayr · Fogle Lake S.W.A. · Sands Timber Lake (Blockton Reservoir) · Thayer Lake · Wilson Park Lake · Twelve Mile Creek Lake
See how Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa · best bluegill 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.