← Iowa fishing maps

Best white bass lakes in Iowa

42 Iowa waters hold white bass, 41 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. Hard-fighting schooling bass. Legendary spring river runs, then open-water surface blitzes chasing shad all summer.

1. Des Moines River — 11 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 18 public access sites
2. Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 43 ft max · survey depth data · 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 · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
4. Desoto Bend — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
5. Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake) — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
6. Five Island Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
7. Black Hawk Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
8. Green Valley Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
9. Lost Grove Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
10. Lake Belva Deer — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
11. Big Hollow Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. Little River Watershed Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
13. Lake Geode — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
14. Hawthorn Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
15. Centerville Upper Reservoir — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Don Williams Lake — 36 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
17. Hickory Grove Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
18. Red Haw Lake — 36 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
19. Lake of Three Fires — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Iowa Lake (Iowa Co.) — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Beeds Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Nine Eagles Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
23. Greenfield Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Lake Pahoja — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Otter Creek Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 17 more Iowa waters holding white bass.

Find the closest white bass waters to you →

When to fish white bass in Iowa

• Spring 2–12 ft — The famous spawning run — fish stack in tributary rivers and below dams by the thousands.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Follow the shad — surface blitzes early and late, suspended schools over structure midday.
• Fall 6–25 ft — The best surface action of the year — gulls diving means white bass feeding.
• Winter 15–40 ft — Huge tight schools in deep basins and channel bends — vertical spoons.

Also in Iowa: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye 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

White Bass elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · Michigan · North Dakota · Texas · Nebraska · Missouri · Oklahoma · South Dakota · Illinois · New Mexico · Kansas · Mississippi · Louisiana · Arkansas