Fort Des Moines Pond

General Information

County: Polk
Location:
Acres: 13.60
Maximum Depth: 25 ft. (2015)
Motoring Restrictions:

Nearby Parks

Amenities

Amenities at Fort Des Moines Pond include:
  • Fishing Jetty
  • Picnic Area
  • Trails
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Community Fishing Location
No recent updates
Download Printable Lake Map

You can zoom in on the map for bathymetric information for some lakes

  • 09/20/2021 - 241 Channel Catfish (9.2)
  • 09/18/2019 - 226 Channel Catfish (8.8)
  • 09/28/2015 - 240 Channel Catfish (8")
  • 07/10/2015 - 50 Black Crappie (7")
  • 06/24/2014 - 1,300 Largemouth Bass (2")
    No known aquatic invasive species have been found
The Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.

  • Bluegill
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Channel Catfish
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 8 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 30 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Largemouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
    • Length Limit: 15-inch minimum
    • Other:
A fishery survey in 2022 found Bluegills reaching sizes to just over 8-inches. Largemouth Bass are very abundant between 9.5- and 13.5-inches. Black Crappies were surveyed from 5- to 9-inches, marking the first year they were present in enough numbers to show up in surveys since the pond was renovated. Channel Catfish were not targeted in the 2022 survey, but a population is present. Expect the larger catfish to be 20- to 26-inches.(2022)
Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.

Contacts

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed. Some limitations may apply for young children and pregnant women. Here’s a Fish Consumption Fact Sheet from the Iowa DNR and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health for more information.