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Best white bass lakes in Iowa

40 Iowa waters hold white bass, 37 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 Catfish
2. Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake) — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
3. Five Island Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
4. Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
5. Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
6. Little River Watershed Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
7. Black Hawk Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
8. Green Valley Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
9. Lost Grove Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
10. Carter Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
11. Lake Belva Deer — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
12. Big Hollow Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
13. Lake Geode — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
14. Hawthorn Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
15. Centerville Upper Reservoir — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
16. Don Williams Lake — 36 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
17. Hickory Grove Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
18. Red Haw Lake — 36 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
19. Lake of Three Fires — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
20. Iowa Lake (Iowa Co.) — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
21. Beeds Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
22. Nine Eagles Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
23. Greenfield Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
24. Lake Pahoja — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
25. Otter Creek Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass

…plus 15 more Iowa waters holding white bass.

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: Minnesota · North Dakota · Nebraska · South Dakota · Mississippi · Texas · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Missouri