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660-acre lake near Council Bluffs. The lake tops out around 21 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.
Lake Manawa maps at 837 acres behind 5.8 miles of shoreline. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. About 98% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 1.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.5 mi at the beam. It sits in Pottawattamie County. Offutt AFB Lake sits 6 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 12 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 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 | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 6 to 21 ft game here, winter a 6 to 21 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 21 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 | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 21 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 20 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 21 ft before dropping to 6 to 21 ft for winter. Fall walleye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 12 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Early season freshwater drum use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 21 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 21 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 20 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Tie on a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Spring common carp on Lake Manawa hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 20 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) |
The chart marks 10 structure features on Lake Manawa; the deepest is Deep basin at about 20 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 Lake Manawa specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Lake Manawa is about 21 ft (6 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, crappie, channel catfish, walleye, freshwater drum, common carp on Lake Manawa.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. 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 Lake Manawa 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.
Offutt AFB Lake 6 mi, NE · Carter Lake 7 mi, NE · Carter Lake 7 mi · Walnut Creek Reservoir 12 mi, NE · Prairie Queen Recreation Area 14 mi, NE · Cunningham Lake 14 mi, NE · Wehrspann Reservoir 16 mi, NE · Standing Bear Lake 16 mi, NE · Zorinsky Lake 17 mi, NE · Wehrspann Basin 17 mi, NE · Cedar Creek Lake 17 mi, NE · Flanagan Lake 19 mi, NE
See how Lake Manawa stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa · best channel catfish lakes in Iowa
More water nearby: Pottawattamie 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.