Iowa Great Lakes
We have everything you need to know about fishing in the Iowa Great Lakes area in our 2020 Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Forecast!
East/West Okoboji
These two lakes are connected although they are very different fisheries. Invasive species such as zebra mussels, curly leaf pondweed as well as Yellow Bass have really effected these lakes; however, the system is still a terrific fishery. The Yellow Bass invasion has actually created a very different opportunity and present a fantastic target species for anglers taking kids or just targeting big numbers of fish.
West Okoboji is a fantastic panfish destination with several will known fishing shows traveling to it to show off the fishery. Both lakes have the potential to offer some good Walleye fishing from time to time as well. A strong population of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass presents another opportunity for anglers as well as a good Muskie population that receives some fishing pressure in the summer.
Big Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake is one of Iowa’s premier Walleye and Yellow Perch fisheries. The last few years Walleye fishing has been at it’s best with plenty of limits filled as well as some mid-upper 20 inch fish present as well. The perch fishing is very inconsistent, but when it is good it is very good. The lake also has a very strong Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass population and is also one of the top Muskie and Northern Pike fisheries in the state. Anglers targeting Bluegill and Crappie also have opportunities, though the fishing for these species can be very inconsistent as well.
Center Lake
Center lake is one of the smaller lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes region. The lack of pressure makes this a lake certainly worth investigating as some years can produce some excellent Walleye and Crappie fishing.
Silver Lake (Dickinson County)
Silver Lake is very similar to Center Lake as it is a small fishery buried with the Iowa Great Lakes region. This lake can offer some very nice limits of eater size Walleye as well as the potential for some true jumbo Yellow Perch. This lake is shallow so fishing is very dependent on the year and weather/water conditions.
Lost Island Lake
Lost Island is one of Iowa’s “hidden gems” to local anglers as the lake can produce some excellent Walleye fishing as well as some terrific panfish action as well. The Iowa Great Lakes really take the pressure off and that is what keeps this lake out of the spotlight. There was a point in time that it had the most Walleye per square acre in the state, unfortunately a fungus came through and killed off some of the larger fish. The past several years the population has rebounded and is once again a terrific fishery. Yellow Bass also present another angling opportunity, though no the size of the Okoboji fish they are still extremely fun to catch and excellent table fare.
Clear Lake
Clear Lake always has produced some good fishing, but lately it has really become one of Iowa’s top fisheries. There was a tremendous amount of work done to the watershed as well as the lake itself and that has really paid off big time. The Walleye fishing is very good. Anglers targeting Crappie also can enjoy some very good numbers fishing as well as a very nice size structure. This was one of the first Yellow Bass fisheries in Iowa and the local guides and anglers have taken advantage of this invasive species turning it into a terrific angling opportunity. Clear Lake also presents a good Muskie fishery for anglers targeting that as well.
Tuttle Lake (IA/MN border)
Tuttle is situated in the middle of a river system so it has a produced inlet and outlet. This created a shallow, mud basin type lake that can produce some excellent fishing at times. There does always seem to be good numbers of Walleye present and another opportunity for nice sized Crappie and Yellow Perch depending on the year.
