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Fishing Fort Des Moines Pond: what the data says
26-acre pond near Polk County. The lake tops out around 24 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.
Crappie fishing at Fort Des Moines Pond
Spring crappie on Fort Des Moines Pond hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 7 to 24 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Fort Des Moines Pond
Spring bluegill on Fort Des Moines Pond hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 22 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Fort Des Moines Pond
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 6 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Fort Des Moines Pond
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 7 to 24 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday |
Yellow Perch fishing at Fort Des Moines Pond
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 7 to 24 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Walleye fishing at Fort Des Moines Pond
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 24 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 22 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 10 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Fort Des Moines Pond?
Fort Des Moines Pond is about 24 ft 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 Fort Des Moines Pond?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Fort Des Moines Pond.
Where is the best fishing spot on Fort Des Moines Pond?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Fort Des Moines Pond?
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.
Nearby waters
Easter Lake · Grays Lake · Ankeny Lake (DMACC) · Lake Ahquabi · Hooper Area Pond · Badger Creek Lake
See how Fort Des Moines Pond 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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.