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31-acre lake near Polk County. The lake tops out around 16 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The outline encloses 31 acres, worked by 0.9 miles of shoreline. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.3 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. Polk County claims this one. If the bite dies, Grays Lake is 9 mi to the south.
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 16 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 16 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 13 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 16 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring largemouth bass on Ankeny Lake (DMACC) hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 16 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 16 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Ankeny Lake (DMACC) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 16 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 16 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 13 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 16 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 16 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 16 ft, wintering in 5 to 16 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 6 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 13 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Iowa waters are set by the Iowa DNR — and special regulations can apply to Ankeny Lake (DMACC) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Ankeny Lake (DMACC) is about 16 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish, yellow perch, walleye on Ankeny Lake (DMACC). This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For crappie, 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.
Fishing on Ankeny Lake (DMACC) 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.
Grays Lake 9 mi · Big Creek Lake 10 mi · Easter Lake 12 mi · Fort Des Moines Pond 13 mi · South Banner Lake 19 mi · Badger Creek Lake 23 mi · Hickory Grove Lake 23 mi · Peterson Pit West 26 mi · Des Moines River 27 mi · Lake Ahquabi 29 mi · Hooper Area Pond 30 mi · Mariposa Lake 34 mi
See how Ankeny Lake (DMACC) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa · best bluegill lakes in Iowa
More water nearby: Polk County fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all Iowa fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.