Best walleye lakes in Iowa
142 Iowa waters hold walleye, 132 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Low-light predator with reflective eyes. Feeds on structure edges at dawn, dusk and night.
- Iowa River — 8 ft max · Walleye, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum
- Des Moines River — 11 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
- West Okoboji Lake — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Cedar River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
- Spirit Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- East Okoboji Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
- Wapsipinicon River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Common Carp
- Clear Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake) — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Five Island Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Three Mile Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Big Creek Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lake Sugema — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lake Icaria — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Brushy Creek Lake — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Twelve Mile Creek Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Little River Watershed Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Lake Macbride — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Black Hawk Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
- Upper Iowa River — 6 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
- Lost Island Lake — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
- Rock Creek Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
…plus 117 more Iowa waters holding walleye.
When to fish walleye in Iowa
- Spring 4–15 ft — Spawning runs to gravel shoals, rocky shorelines and inflows.
- Summer 15–35 ft — Deep humps and breaklines by day; edges and flats in low light.
- Fall 12–40 ft — Fish steep structure near deep basins; big fish move shallow at night.
- Winter 20–40 ft — Deep basin flats and humps; short dawn/dusk feeding windows.
Also in Iowa: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best white bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes
Walleye elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · Montana · Wyoming · North Dakota · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · South Dakota · New York · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Manitoba · Alberta · Georgia · Vermont · West Virginia · Pennsylvania