Big Creek Lake

For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

Walleye - Good: Catch walleyes shallow in the evenings casting jigs with plastics or live minnows near rocky shorelines and jetties. Fish deeper in 10 to 20 feet of water during the day casting jigs with live minnows or plastics or trolling live bait rigs.

Black Crappie - Good: Catch crappies that are in shallow near any wood habitat in 3 to 10 feet of water using live minnows or panfish plastics under a float. The best crappie fishing is going to be the first two weeks of May.

Source: Iowa DNR

For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

Black Crappie - Fair: Catch crappies that are beginning to move shallow near any wood habitat in 3 to 10 feet of water using live minnows or panfish plastics under a float. The peak of the spawn is likely going to be the end of the first week of May into the second week.

Walleye - Fair: Catch walleyes shallow in the evenings casting jigs with plastics or live minnows near rocky shorelines and jetties. Fish deeper in 10 to 20 feet of water during the day casting jigs with live minnows or plastics or trolling live bait rigs.

Source: Iowa DNR

For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

Walleye - Fair: Catch walleyes shallow in the evenings casting jigs with plastics or live minnows near rocky shorelines and jetties. Fish deeper in 10 to 20 feet of water during the day casting jigs with live minnows or plastics or trolling live bait rigs.

Black Crappie - Fair: Catch crappies that are beginning to move shallow near any wood habitat in 3 to 10 feet of water using live minnows or panfish plastics under a float. The peak of the spawn is likely a couple weeks away yet.

Source: Iowa DNR

For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

Walleye - Fair: As water temperatures start climbing again at the end of March and early April, catch walleyes shallow in the evenings casting jigs with plastics or live minnows near rocky shorelines and jetties.

Source: Iowa DNR

As of February 29, ponds and lakes in Central Iowa are open water. Some new skim ice may last for a short time on small lakes and ponds. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

As of February 22 Big Creek Lake was partially open on the upper half of the lake. Open water was accessible from the 100th Street Boat Ramp. The Marina Boat Ramp was very close to being ice free.

Walleye - Slow: Catch walleyes as the water warms into the first week in March casting jigs with plastics or live minnows near rocky shorelines and jetties in the evenings.

For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

Walleye - Slow: Catch walleyes as the water warms in March casting jigs with plastics or live minnows near rocky shorelines and jetties in the evenings.

Source: Iowa DNR

As of February 22, most ponds and lakes in Central Iowa were mostly open water. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

As of February 22 Big Creek Lake was partially open on the upper half of the lake. Open water was accessible from the 100th Street Boat Ramp. The Marina Boat Ramp was very close to being ice free.

Source: Iowa DNR

As of February 15, most ponds and lakes in Central Iowa had poor ice or open water. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

As of February 15 Big Creek Lake was still mostly covered in weak ice.

Source: Iowa DNR

As of February 8, most ponds and lakes in Central Iowa had poor ice conditions with some open water. Ice fishing is done in Central Iowa. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

As of February 8 Big Creek Lake ice was in poor condition and edges are starting to open. Anglers should stay off the ice.

Source: Iowa DNR

As of January 25 Big Creek Lake ice was 10 to 12 inches thick.

As of January 25, most ponds and lakes in Central Iowa had 10 to 12 inches of ice. . For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

Black Crappie - Fair: Catch crappies over brushpiles and roadbeds in the mornings and evenings using glow jigs or glow spoons baited with wax worms or minnows.

Source: Iowa DNR

As of January 17, most ponds and lakes in Central Iowa had 4 to 8 inches of ice. There is variability due to snow cover and some lakes just making ice in the past week. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.

As of January 17 Big Creek Lake was completely ice covered with an average of 6 inches.

Source: Iowa DNR