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50-acre lake near Van Buren 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Miss (Tug Fork West) runs 50 acres with 1.4 miles of edge. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 94% of this chart. Call it 0.6 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Van Buren County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Sugema, 1 mi southeast of here.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 18 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 18 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for winter largemouth bass. 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 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 | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 18 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 18 ft before dropping to 5 to 18 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 18 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 18 ft game here, winter a 5 to 18 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 18 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is 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 | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 18 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 18 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 18 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. 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 | open water | |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk | Deep basin (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) |
Spring walleye on Lake Miss (Tug Fork West) hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 9 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in 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 | Break off the point (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 18 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Miss (Tug Fork West) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Lake Miss (Tug Fork West) 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.
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, walleye on Lake Miss (Tug Fork West). 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.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Miss (Tug Fork West) 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.
Lake Sugema 1 mi · Lacey Keosauqua State Park Lake 3 mi · Indian Lake 15 mi · Lake Fisher 22 mi · Ottumwa Park Pond East 30 mi · Lake Wapello 30 mi · Pollmiller Park Lake 31 mi · Lake Darling 34 mi · Lake Geode 34 mi · Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) 42 mi, IA/IL · Hazel Creek Lake 42 mi, MO · Centerville Lower Reservoir 45 mi
See how Lake Miss (Tug Fork West) 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.