Update: Last year I put 5 kiddie wading pools filled with pea gravel on top of cinder blocks along shoreline that was a bit too deep for spawning before - had BG using them immediately to spawn all year.
What depth are the kiddie pools now?
Was the "unusable" shoreline too steep, and only flattened enough for spawning at a depth too great for spawning? If so, what was that depth?