Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Peterson Pit West
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Peterson Pit West: what the data says
24-acre lake near Story County. The lake tops out around 35 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Crappie fishing at Peterson Pit West
Spring crappie on Peterson Pit West hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Peterson Pit West
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 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Peterson Pit West
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Peterson Pit West
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 11 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 33 ft that scores prime in winter. 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 | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday |
Yellow Perch fishing at Peterson Pit West
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a weed flat in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Walleye fishing at Peterson Pit West
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 35 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 33 ft, rated prime for winter walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 11 to 35 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 33 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Peterson Pit West?
Peterson Pit West is about 35 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 Peterson Pit West?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Peterson Pit West.
Where is the best fishing spot on Peterson Pit West?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 33 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 Peterson Pit West?
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
Little Wall Lake · Hickory Grove Lake · Des Moines River · Big Creek Lake · Ankeny Lake (DMACC) · Briggs Woods Lake
See how Peterson Pit 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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.