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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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 216 acres, worked by 6.7 miles of shoreline. A development index of 3.3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 77% of this chart, as modeled. Call it 1.6 mi long by 0.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. Pike County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Siloam Springs Lake, is 20 mi to the northwest.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 28 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Break off the point (13 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring white bass & hybrids on Pittsfield Lake hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 8 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 28 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 24 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (24 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk | Deep basin (24 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) |
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. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 24 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down 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. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 24 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 Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Pittsfield Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Pittsfield Lake is about 28 ft (9 m) deep 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.
Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass & hybrids, channel catfish, crappie, common carp 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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Pittsfield Lake is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Siloam Springs Lake 20 mi · Mauvaise Terre Lake 29 mi · Lake Jacksonville 30 mi · Schuy-Rush Lake 32 mi · Greenfield Lake 36 mi · Otter Lake 48 mi · Vermont Lake 49 mi · Anderson Lake 49 mi · Sunset Lake 50 mi · Vandalia Community Lake 50 mi, MO · Carlinville Lake 55 mi · Mark Twain Lake 56 mi, MO
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 see every water on DepthScout. 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.