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630-acre reservoir near Justice. A steep-sided Guyandotte River flood-control reservoir with an authoritative WVDNR depth raster and strong bass and catfish fisheries. The lake tops out around 143 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, R.D. Bailey Lake runs 588 acres with 20.9 miles of edge. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 6.1) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. 33% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 4 mi end to end and 2.5 mi across at its widest. For a second option, Lake Stephens lies 30 mi northeast.
Early season spotted bass use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 40 ft, then a winter hold in 25 to 50 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 22 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring blue catfish on R.D. Bailey Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 135 ft, good for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (135 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Deep basin (135 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Deep basin (135 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, good in spring. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (135 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (135 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (135 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
R.D. Bailey Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
R.D. Bailey Lake carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 135 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for West Virginia waters are set by the West Virginia DNR — and special regulations can apply to R.D. Bailey Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official West Virginia fishing regulations →
R.D. Bailey Lake is about 143 ft (44 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 spotted bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, blue catfish, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, walleye on R.D. Bailey Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for spotted bass in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For spotted 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 R.D. Bailey Lake is regulated by the West Virginia DNR. Check the official West Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Stephens 30 mi · Fishtrap Lake 34 mi, KY · Plum Orchard Lake 39 mi · Upper Mud River Lake 40 mi · John W. Flannagan Reservoir 43 mi, VA · Laurel Bed Lake 45 mi, VA · East Lynn Lake 46 mi · New River (Gorge) 48 mi · Hawks Nest Lake 50 mi · Dewey Lake 52 mi, KY · Hidden Valley Lake 55 mi, VA · Ridenour Lake 56 mi
See how R.D. Bailey Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in West Virginia · best smallmouth bass lakes in West Virginia · best walleye lakes in West Virginia · best crappie lakes in West Virginia
Browse all West Virginia 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.