Twelve Mile Creek Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (IA)

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Lake depth chart

Twelve Mile Creek Lake, IA

Max 40 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 5 – Nov 15 · the Midwest edition — a ~10° drop off summer temps starts it mid-September and it builds as the water falls through the 60s; gizzard shad tolerate cold, so it outlasts the southern threadfin version

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageMar 15 – May 31 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMay 1 – Jun 30 · in ~7 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 20 – Aug 5 · in ~7 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Twelve Mile Creek Lake

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Fishing Twelve Mile Creek Lake: what the data says

635-acre lake near Creston. The lake tops out around 40 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

Drawn out, this is 637 acres of water rimmed by 11.6 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.3) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 50% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.3 mi with a 0.8-mi widest point. You'll find it in Union County. The nearest mapped water is Three Mile Lake, 2 mi to the northeast.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Twelve Mile Creek Lake

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 6 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 (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (8 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (37 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Walleye fishing at Twelve Mile Creek Lake

When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 37 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (37 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Crappie fishing at Twelve Mile Creek Lake

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 Deep basin, a deep basin in about 37 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. 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 (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (8 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Back-bay flat (8 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (37 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Twelve Mile Creek Lake

Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. 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	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Back-bay flat (8 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Twelve Mile Creek Lake

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: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 37 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (4 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Deep basin (37 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (37 ft)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Twelve Mile Creek Lake

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 12 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 15 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.

Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (10 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (4 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Twelve Mile Creek Lake also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

The chart marks 6 structure features on Twelve Mile Creek Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 37 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 37 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 15 ft
Secondary point: point, around 10 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 4 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Twelve Mile Lake - Union — ramp
Twelve Mile Lake - Union — ramp
Twelve Mile Lake - Union — ramp

Access data: Iowa DNR — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Twelve Mile Creek Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Iowa waters are set by the Iowa DNR — and special regulations can apply to Twelve Mile Creek Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Twelve Mile Creek Lake?

Twelve Mile Creek Lake is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Twelve Mile Creek Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, yellow perch on Twelve Mile Creek Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Twelve Mile Creek Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Twelve Mile Creek Lake?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Twelve Mile Creek Lake?

Fishing on Twelve Mile 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.

Nearby waters

Three Mile Lake 2 mi · Hurley Creek Pond 5 mi · McKinley Lake 6 mi · Summit Lake 6 mi · Green Valley Lake 7 mi · Thayer Lake 11 mi · Orient Lake 12 mi · Fogle Lake S.W.A. 18 mi · Greenfield Lake 19 mi · Nodaway Lake 19 mi · Wilson Park Lake 22 mi · Mormon Trail Lake 22 mi

See how Twelve Mile Creek Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best smallmouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa

More water nearby: Union County fishing maps (7 charts). Browse all Iowa fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.