DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge Depth Map (IA)

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

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Fishing DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge: what the data says

4,517-acre lake near Harrison County. Iowa DNR survey water. The lake tops out around 18 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

On the chart, DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge draws 4,517 acres inside 10 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Call it 3.9 mi long by 2.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Washington County. The nearest mapped water is Desoto Bend, 0 mi to the south.

Largemouth Bass fishing at DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 18 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	5 to 18 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 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 18 ft	midday	Break off the point (8 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

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 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 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	6 to 18 ft	midday	Break off the point (8 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	5 to 18 ft	midday	Deep basin (15 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	5 to 18 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	5 to 18 ft	dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	5 to 18 ft	midday	Deep basin (15 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 18 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 18 ft. Put Back-bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Back-bay flat (4 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	5 to 18 ft	dawn	Deep basin (15 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	5 to 18 ft	midday	Deep basin (15 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	5 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (15 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Channel Catfish fishing at DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 18 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 15 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Back-bay flat (4 ft)
Summer	5 to 18 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (15 ft)
Fall	5 to 18 ft	dusk	Deep basin (15 ft)
Winter	5 to 18 ft	midday	Deep basin (15 ft)

Walleye fishing at DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

Spring walleye on DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 8 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).

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 18 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	5 to 18 ft	dusk & night	Break off the point (8 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	5 to 18 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (15 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Notable structure

The chart marks 9 structure features on DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge; the deepest is Deep basin at about 15 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 15 ft
Deepest basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Middle Boat Ramp — ramp (concrete)
South Gate Boat Ramp — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Iowa waters are set by the Iowa DNR — and special regulations can apply to DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge?

DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is about 18 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.

What fish are in DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge?

Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, walleye on DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. 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.

Where is the best fishing spot on DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge?

Fishing on DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge 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.

Nearby waters

Desoto Bend 0 mi, NE/IA · Cunningham Lake 12 mi, NE · Prairie View Lake 14 mi, NE · Standing Bear Lake 15 mi, NE · Carter Lake 16 mi · Carter Lake 16 mi, NE · Flanagan Lake 16 mi, NE · Lawrence Youngman 20 mi, NE · Willow Lake 21 mi · Summit Lake 22 mi, NE · Zorinsky Lake 22 mi, NE · Arrowhead Pond 23 mi

See how DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa · best bluegill 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.