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Fishing Valley Water Mill Lake: what the data says
14-acre lake near Watershed Committee of the Ozarks. MDC-managed public fishing lake at Watershed Committee of the Ozarks. The lake tops out around 17 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Valley Water Mill Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Valley Water Mill Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Valley Water Mill Lake
Spring channel catfish on Valley Water Mill Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 17 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Valley Water Mill Lake
Spring bluegill on Valley Water Mill Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Valley Water Mill Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Valley Water Mill Lake?
Valley Water Mill Lake is about 17 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Valley Water Mill Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Valley Water Mill Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Valley Water Mill Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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.
When is the best time to fish Valley Water Mill 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.
Nearby waters
Fellows Lake · James River · Stockton Lake · Pomme de Terre Lake · Lake Taneycomo · Table Rock Lake
See how Valley Water Mill Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best crappie lakes in Missouri · best bluegill lakes in Missouri · best channel catfish lakes in Missouri
Browse all Missouri fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.