Need some tips on fishing a new lake!

[cheifton2005]

So im in college and i've been away from my hometown lakes that i knew so well and loved so much. My roommate recently stumbled upon a nearby lake that apparently has huge catfish and thats what he loves to catch. I did some research and turns out this lake actually has a lot of bass potential. There are just a few problems. Progress Energy uses this lake for cooling so the water is usually incredibly hot (97 degrees yesterday) and for the most part its just a flooded field with most places being 4-5 feet deep with fairly deep was (25-30) through a river channel and around the dikes. I've been fishing all my life and never encountered water of this depth and temp and i realized after three hours of unproductive fishing yesterday i have no clue where the fish are. I was just wondering if anyone had an tips on where to find the bass?

P.S- Its Sutton Lake in Wilmington NC if that helps anyone out