The cold winter months don’t have to feel like a permanent stay at home where you don’t leave the house. In fact, there are many fun activities to do during the winter months, one of which is ice fishing! Every winter, thousands of anglers pack up their gear and head out onto the ice to try and catch some fish. Especially in Iowa, where the temperature can drop quite a bit, there are tons of places where anglers park and wait for the fish to swim. If you’ve been interested in finding a new winter activity to practice, look no further. Whether you live in the state or just want to visit, we’ve got the lowdown on the best ice fishing lakes in Iowa.
It is important to note that ice fishing conditions vary throughout the state. As you might expect, northern Iowa has a much longer ice fishing period due to the colder temperatures. Still, no matter what state you’re in, you’ll be able to take part in the great pastime of ice fishing.
Big Creek Lake
As one of the best ice fishing lakes in Iowa, Big Creek Lake is located in Big Creek State Park and is home to many types of fish, including largemouth bass.
Located within Big Creek State Park, this lake is located in central Iowa. Big Creek Lake offers year-round fishing, and ice fishing is popular in this area due to its central location within a state park. It is important to note that due to the size and location of the lake, it takes much longer to freeze than other options. The lake has an area of about 814 acres along with a depth of 167 feet. However, thanks to how big the lake really is, you can be sure there is plenty of room (and fish) for many anglers to enjoy. The type of fish you are likely to find here include walleye, bass, walleye, bluegill, muskie and channel catfish.
Big Spirit Lake
As a natural body of water, Big Spirit Lake is the largest natural lake in Iowa.
Big Spirit Lake is another choice for the best ice fishing lakes in Iowa. Anglers will want to check this lake out. This lake is located in northwestern Iowa, in Dickinson County. It is actually a remnant of the most recent ice age that took place 13,000 years ago. This is a very large lake. In fact, it is the largest natural lake in the state. It’s so big that it’s actually part of the chain of lakes known as the Iowa Great Lakes.
Its area is 5,684 hectares and the maximum depth of the lake is 24 feet. There are even parts of the lake that straddle the Minnesota border. As such a large body of water, it’s no wonder so many fishermen come here to fish. There are about 40 different species of fish found in the lake and out of these 40, 13 are commonly caught by fishermen. Lake and muskie are some of the most commonly caught fish in the lake. However, yellow perch is another popular fish that ice anglers can catch as well.
Black Hawk Lake
Black Hawk Lake is actually the southernmost glacial lake found in the United States.
©iStock.com/gr8mgb
Anglers looking for a great northwest lake in Iowa will fall in love with Black Hawk Lake. This lake is nothing to scoff at with 957 acres of surface area and a maximum depth of 20 feet. This lake was actually ranked 6th on the list of the best lakes in Iowa. This ranking was designated by Iowa Outdoor Magazine for good reason.
It is the southernmost glacial lake in the United States and receives about 250,000 visitors each year. It has tons of shoreline, and while much of the lake is surrounded by private homes with boat docks, 50% of the shoreline is easily accessible to the public. When anglers come here to fish, they are typically known to catch walleye, walleye, bass, catfish, perch, and muskie all year round, including the winter season. This is definitely a lake worth adding to your ice fishing itinerary.
Clear Lake
This is one of the most popular ice fishing destinations as Clear Lake has walleye, channel catfish and yellow perch to offer anglers.
Another great option for anglers in Iowa is Clear Lake. A natural spring feeds this lake and makes it what it is today. It is located in Cerro Gordo County, which is a part of northern Iowa. This is one of the most popular fishing destinations in the state and for good reason! The lake covers an area of 3,684 acres along with a maximum depth of 30 feet. Outside of its popularity during the ice fishing season, this lake is one of the most popular tourist and local summer destinations. The Des Moines Register, a state newspaper, called Clear Lake “Iowa’s best lake town.”
However, this was not the only designation they received. Midwest Living magazine even rated the area as one of the best vacation spots. The most common types of fish you will find in this lake include walleye, sunfish, walleye, bass, catfish, perch, northern pike, and muskie. The lake underwent a dredging project about ten years ago. This project helped increase many of the fish populations, with muskie and walleye populations being the most positively affected.
East Lake Okoboji
Located in Elinor Bedell State Park, East Okoboji Lake is another lake that is part of the chain of lakes known as the Iowa Great Lakes.
This is one of the most popular lakes for weekend getaways and fishing trips. East Lake Okoboji is classified as a glacial hole. This means that it is a remnant of the most recent ice age that took place approximately 13,000 years ago. This lake is absolutely stunning. It has 1,835 acres of surface area to offer visitors and a maximum depth of almost 22 feet. There is also a very healthy fish population in the lake. Some of the fish you can expect to catch here include bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow bass, white bass, walleye, perch and even northern pike, making it one of the best lakes for in Iowa ice fishing. Overall, this is a great lake to frequent during the winter months. Especially if you are near Northwest Iowa or just want to visit the area.
Storm Lake
Anglers looking to catch a lot of walleye will definitely want to head to Storm Lake as it is known for healthy populations of this fish.
Storm Lake is one of the best lakes to go lake fishing. This lake is considered the fourth largest glacial lake in Iowa. The surface area alone is about 3,200 hectares. Located in the northwestern part of Iowa, there are over eight miles of coastline to explore. This means you won’t have to fight for a fishing spot with any other angler.
As we mentioned, this area is especially known for being a great place to catch walleye. In fact, walleye here can grow up to 22 inches long. However, it is important to note that walleye ranging from 17 to 22 inches must be released when caught. If walleye aren’t your thing, the area also has perch and walleye to offer anglers. You might even find catfish and white bass if you’re lucky. Overall, this is a great lake worth visiting if you’re interested in catching some pretty huge fish!