Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Pittsfield Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Pittsfield Lake: what the data says
221-acre reservoir near Pittsfield. The lake tops out around 28 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Pittsfield Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| 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 | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Pittsfield Lake
In spring, white bass & hybrids run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 28 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall white bass & hybrids. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Pittsfield Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 24 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Pittsfield Lake
Spring crappie on Pittsfield Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Common Carp fishing at Pittsfield Lake
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 24 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Pittsfield Lake?
Pittsfield Lake is about 28 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Pittsfield Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, common carp on Pittsfield Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Pittsfield Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Pittsfield Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Siloam Springs Lake · Greenfield Lake · Vermont Lake · Anderson Lake · Otter Lake · Carthage Reservoir
See how Pittsfield Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois · best white bass & hybrids lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.