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Best bluegill lakes in Iowa

182 Iowa waters list bluegill (official records or labelled estimates), 180 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.

1. West Okoboji Lake — 135 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
2. Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 43 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
3. Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 53 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
4. Spirit Lake — 22 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
5. East Okoboji Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites
6. Clear Lake — 22 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
7. DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge — 18 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
8. Desoto Bend — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Big Creek Lake — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
10. Five Island Lake — 22 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
11. Three Mile Lake — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
12. Twelve Mile Creek Lake — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
13. Lake Macbride — 45 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites
14. Brushy Creek Lake — 72 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
15. Rice Lake — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
16. Lake Icaria — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
17. Lake Sugema — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
18. Black Hawk Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
19. Trumbull Lake — 4 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
20. Snyder Bend Lake — 11 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Rock Creek Lake — 16 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
22. Lost Grove Lake — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
23. Silver Lake (Palo Alto) — 6 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Blue Lake — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
25. Big Hollow Lake — 44 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 157 more Iowa waters holding bluegill.

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When to fish bluegill in Iowa

• Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
• Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
• Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.

Also in Iowa: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes

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