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14-acre lake in Iowa. The lake tops out around 19 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Drawn out, this is 14 acres of water rimmed by 1.4 miles of bank. A development index of 2.6 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 87% of this chart, as modeled. Figure 0.3 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. For a second option, Fort Des Moines Pond lies 6 mi northwest.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 19 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 19 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall 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 | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 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 | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 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 6 to 19 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 16 ft range, prime in winter. 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 | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | open water | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 19 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 19 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 16 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 | 6 to 19 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 19 ft before dropping to 6 to 19 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 16 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 | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The chart marks 2 structure features on South Banner Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 16 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Iowa waters are set by the Iowa DNR — and special regulations can apply to South Banner Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
South Banner Lake is about 19 ft (6 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, bluegill, channel catfish, crappie on South Banner Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 South Banner Lake 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.
Fort Des Moines Pond 6 mi · Easter Lake 7 mi · Grays Lake 10 mi · Lake Ahquabi 11 mi · Hooper Area Pond 12 mi · Ankeny Lake (DMACC) 19 mi · Badger Creek Lake 19 mi · Roberts Creek Lake 26 mi · Big Creek Lake 28 mi · Williamson Pond 30 mi · East Lake (Osceola) 30 mi · West Lake (Osceola) 31 mi
See how South Banner Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Iowa · best crappie lakes in Iowa · best bluegill lakes in Iowa · best channel catfish lakes in Iowa
Browse all Iowa 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.