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78-acre lake near Ida County. Iowa DNR survey water. The lake tops out around 27 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Crawford Creek Impoundment draws 78 acres inside 1.5 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. About 74% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 0.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Ida County. For a second option, Moorehead Park Pond lies 9 mi northeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 8 to 27 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 27 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 26 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 27 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 27 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 8 to 27 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 27 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 27 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Crawford Creek Impoundment also holds smallmouth bass (8 to 27 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 26 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Iowa waters are set by the Iowa DNR — and special regulations can apply to Crawford Creek Impoundment specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Crawford Creek Impoundment is about 27 ft (8 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, walleye, smallmouth bass, white bass on Crawford Creek Impoundment. 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 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.
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.
Fishing on Crawford Creek Impoundment 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.
Moorehead Park Pond 9 mi · Little Sioux Park Lake 16 mi · Oldham Lake 20 mi · Yellow Smoke Park Lake 22 mi · Nelson Park Lake 23 mi · Arrowhead Lake 28 mi · Black Hawk Pits 28 mi · Black Hawk Lake 29 mi · Manteno Park Pond 30 mi · Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake) 32 mi · Loess Hills State Forest - Jones Creek 32 mi · Blue Lake 33 mi
See how Crawford Creek Impoundment stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best smallmouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best white bass lakes in Iowa
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.