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235-acre lake in DeKalb County, Missouri. The lake tops out around 27 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 236 acres wrapped in 7.1 miles of bank. 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. About 88% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.3 mi with a 1-mi widest point. DeKalb County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Pony Express Lake Conservation Area, is 1 mi to the north.
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Pony Express Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. The chart's best answer is West Fork Lost Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | West Fork Lost Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) |
When the water first warms, common carp slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 3 to 15 ft game here, winter an 8 to 27 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run 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 | Old creek channel (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 27 ft. Put Old creek channel first on the milk run — a creek channel near 14 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| 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 | Old creek channel (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring largemouth bass on Pony Express Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| 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 (12 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 27 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
10 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 23 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Missouri waters are set by the Missouri Department of Conservation — and special regulations can apply to Pony Express Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Pony Express Lake is about 27 ft (8 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 bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, largemouth bass on Pony Express Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For bluegill, 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 Pony Express Lake is regulated by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Check the official Missouri regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Pony Express Lake Conservation Area 1 mi · Grindstone Lake 5 mi · Willow Brook Lake 5 mi · Eagle Lake 7 mi · Century Lake 7 mi · Sunrise Lake 7 mi · Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area 13 mi · King Lake Conservation Area 16 mi · Hamilton City Lake 19 mi · Limpp Community Lake 20 mi · Elam Bend Conservation Area 20 mi · Belcher Branch Lake Conservation Area 24 mi
See how Pony Express Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best crappie lakes in Missouri · best bluegill lakes in Missouri · best channel catfish lakes in Missouri
More water nearby: DeKalb County fishing maps (8 charts). Browse all Missouri 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.