Iowa Fishing Destinations May 2025
Iowa Fishing Destinations May 2025
The month of May is right around the corner, anglers from all over the state have been getting out and enjoying the fishing Iowa has to offer. May offers anglers a fantastic opportunity to catch any species they desire. Now is the perfect time to plan that next fishing trip, no matter where you live in the state there are great fishing opportunities near you. Here are four top bodies of water in each section of the state to check out this month. Enjoy, as May can be the best month all year to get out and catch some fish.
Allamakee County: Mississippi River- Pool 9
The northeast part of the state is known for its small rivers and the big river, the Mississippi. Lakes are present in this part of the state but are mostly smaller and can get overcrowded quickly. Thousands of anglers across the Midwest come to Pool 9 of the Mississippi River each year to enjoy the vast waters and variety of species it offers. It is definitely a destination that all Iowa anglers need to experience. May is an excellent time to visit this part of the river for a couple of reasons. First, typically the water level will be above normal pool level, meaning that the access to backwater sloughs and backwaters are easily accessible no matter the kind of boat you have. This allows you to find different flows of current that fish are relating to. This has big crappies, bluegills and perch. If you like panfish, you will find the bluegills and crappies in the prespawn feed this time of year. Perch will be done spawning, and you can find them near early weed growth and mild current. Largemouth and smallmouth bass will also be feeding up this time of year. These species could be in every acre of this pool this time of year, so plan on spending a lot of time with search baits. Once you find one, get ready…it might be the best day of bass fishing in your life! Don’t be afraid of current, even though the majority of bass are in pre-spawn. Mild current and pockets near heavy current will hold bass year-round. My favorite search bait this time of year is a Strike King square bill crankbait or a swim jig, both species of bass love them. If you like walleye, there may not be a better place in Iowa to catch them. May will have the walleye completely done with the spawn and setting up in current to feed. Crankbaits and vertical jigging seem to be the best tactics this time of year. If bigger fish are on your brain right now, then find some spinnerbaits, braided line and a Medium/Heavy rod to catch some northern pike. These fish are always hungry on the Mighty Mississippi River, especially in the spring and fall. Cover a lot of water by making long casts to current breaks, creeks, and any submerged or emergent weed cover. The Mississippi River is a great resource for all fish species, put it on your list of things to experience for 2025.
Keokuk County: Lake Belva Deer
The southeast section of Iowa is also known for its interior rivers and the Mississippi River. However, it also has many fantastic lakes the Iowa DNR manages. In 2000 the dam was created to fill the area we know as Lake Belva Deer. It is a relatively new lake in Iowa and has become a popular area for anglers to fish year-round. The lake has great populations of catfish, bass, crappies and bluegills. In the past 5 years the DNR has stocked over 1.5 million walleyes into the lake as well. This lake is full of standing trees, much like Brushy Creek, 3-Mile and 12-Mile Lakes. The lake is composed of many deep channels and large flats. These flats near the deep channels are bass magnets. Again, shallow running crankbaits and swim jigs are my favorite way to cover a lot of water to find May bass. After finding and catching a few using search baits, slow down to pick up even more bass this time of year. As the weeks go on, topwater baits are great in these areas for bass too. Expect to catch a lot of bass from 1-pound to 2-pounds, but there are some 4-pound giants in there too. The bluegill and crappie population are both great as well. Moving around the deeper trees and channels will help you find some of these great eating fish. On sunny, warm days, these fish will move shallow during May. Casting a small jig towards the wood can keep you busy all day long. When fishing deeper for crappies I like to use a two-rod approach. A slip bobber with minnows and a jig rod. The bobber rig will help you focus on certain depths, while casting and retrieving the jig and plastic trailer. Change colors with your plastics, as it can make a big difference from day to day. If Bluegills are your main target, a drop-shot rig with a small worm is the best choice at this lake. These rigs can move up and down the many trees in the lake to find hungry fish. Tying off on a tree and vertically jigging a drop-shot rig is a sure-fire way to fresh bluegill meal.
Dickinson: Okoboji Lakes
The Okoboji Lake area is a very unique system of water. It includes six different lakes to choose from; Spirit Lake, East Okoboji, West Okoboji, Upper Gar, Lower Gar and Minnewashta Lake. May is a great time to visit these lakes as the lakes will be much calmer then they will once Memorial Day hits. This time of year, a few things stand out at these lakes as favorite targets of visiting anglers. If you are after largemouth and smallmouth bass, West Okoboji is your place to fish. These bass will have the spawn on their minds as the water warms each day. They can be caught in 25 feet of water all the way up to 1 foot of water. Cover a lot of ground to find where they are when you visit. The largest bass in the state live in this lake! East Okoboji is the panfish capital of this group of lakes. Yellow Bass, bluegills, and crappies are all present in abundance on East O. My favorite once again for bluegills and yellow bass is the drop-shot. Setting up a drift or anchoring in one location with a small worm on a drop-shot will have everyone in your boat smiling. Crappies can be caught around the deeper docks this time of year, throwing jigs or the minnow/slip bobber combination is hard to beat once you find a group of the crappies. If perch and walleye are on your list of “dinner plans”, then a trip to Spirit Lake is in order. This lake is full of both species, worms and live minnows and shiner seem to produce constantly. Keep moving and don’t rule out shallow water with these species. Many anglers fish deep when targeting perch and walleye, make sure you try shallow bays and flats too. As you can see this area is a fisherman’s dream when it comes to all species of game fish.
Union County: 12-Mile Lake
When traveling to the southwest part of the state you will find many lakes to choose from. As with many lakes in Iowa most of these were man made by the DNR. Many lakes in this area are great, a few that come to mind are Big Creek Lake, 12-Mile Lake, Little River, Prairie Rose, and West Lake Osceola to name a few. With so many to choose from I asked avid angler Jeremy King about the current “best lake” to fish right now in Southwest Iowa. Jeremy said, “I would say the one spot to hit is 12-Mile Lake as of late.
The bass population is fantastic right now. There are many 14–18-inch bass eager to hit your favorite bait, as well as some trophy bass too. Bluegills are numerous and terrific size. Anglers need to pay attention to the contours of this lake to find hungry bluegills. Worms tend to be the best bait. Crappies with the size you desire are abundant; and you can catch them the regular way. Move about the lake to locate the small schools. In addition to those game fish, the one species that is locally growing in attention is perch. The perch numbers are through the roof and with some 13 inch plus fish being caught.” Sounds like a great place to put on the list of places to visit this month!
May is a great time to get out and enjoy some fishing. This is a small list of the many good places we have to fish in the state of Iowa. As with any fishing, the more time you put into the sport the more you will be able to get out of it. This time of year, bass, crappies and bluegills will all be near the spawning process. Please make wise choices when keeping fish, and release as many as you can to help our lakes and rivers continue to be a strong resource throughout the state.
By Todd Reed
