Largemouth Bass fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.

White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

Spring white bass & hybrids on Walter E. Long Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Decker Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring white bass & hybrids. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) and you're in the game.

Crappie fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

Spring crappie on Walter E. Long Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Channel Catfish fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Decker Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.

Flathead Catfish fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

Spring flathead catfish on Walter E. Long Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 51 ft, rated prime for winter flathead catfish. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Bluegill fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.

How deep is Walter E. Long Lake?

Walter E. Long Lake is about 60 ft (18 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 Walter E. Long Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, flathead catfish on Walter E. Long Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Walter E. Long 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Walter E. Long 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.