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Best white bass lakes in Iowa

54 Iowa waters list white bass (official records or labelled estimates), 53 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. Hard-fighting schooling bass. Legendary spring river runs, then open-water surface blitzes chasing shad all summer.

1. Des Moines River — 11 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 18 public access sites
2. West Okoboji Lake — 135 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
3. Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 43 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
4. Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 53 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
5. Spirit Lake — 22 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
6. East Okoboji Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites
7. Clear Lake — 22 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #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. Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake) — 17 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
11. Five Island Lake — 22 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
12. Lake Macbride — 45 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites
13. Black Hawk Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
14. Lost Grove Lake — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
15. Big Hollow Lake — 44 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Roberts Creek Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
17. Little River Watershed Lake — 32 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
18. Lake Geode — 39 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
19. Hawthorn Lake — 28 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
20. Silver Lake (Dickinson) — 8 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
21. Center Lake — 16 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Don Williams Lake — 36 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
23. Hickory Grove Lake — 32 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
24. Lost Island Lake — 12 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Red Haw Lake — 36 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites

…plus 29 more Iowa waters holding white bass.

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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

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