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Center Lake

General Information

County: Dickinson
Location: 2 miles west, 1/2 miles south of Spirit Lake
Acres: 220.00
Maximum Depth: 17.9 ft. (2006 - Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program.)
Motoring Restrictions: none

Nearby Parks

Lower Gar State Recreation Area
Mini-Wakan State Park
Gull Point State Park
Gull Point State Park
Marble Beach State Recreation Area
Emerson Bay State Recreation Area
Elinor Bedell State Park
Pikes Point State Park
Templar State Recreation Area

Amenities

Amenities at Center Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Accessible Pier
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline

No recent updates

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map

You can zoom in on the map for bathymetric information for some lakes

  • 5/10/22 - 132,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/7/22 - 5,208 Walleye (5.1)
  • October 2021 - 9,791 Walleye (4.7)
  • 05/02/2021 - 132,600 Walleye (Fry)
  • September 2020 - 4,009 Walleye (6.1)
  • 06/11/2020 - 1,600 Largemouth Bass (5.8)
  • 10/24/2019 - 1,122 Walleye (8.6)
  • 10/18/2019 - 2,423 Largemouth Bass (4.1)
  • 10/04/2019 - 65 Northern Pike (11.87)
  • 05/06/2019 - 158,625 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/25/2018 - 3,006 Walleye (5.1)
  • 07/12/2018 - 4,015 Walleye (2.85)
  • 05/15/2018 - 144,203 Walleye (Fry)
  • 5/4/2017 - 132,800 Walleye (fry)
  • 11/3/2017 - 1,847 Walleye (9.3")
  • fall 2016 - 4,001 Walleye (4.4")
  • 9/28/16 - 1,582 Channel Catfish (9.2")
  • 4/26/16 - 132,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/13/2015 - 6,075 Walleye (6")
  • 10/01/2014 - 4,014 Walleye (6")

  • Curlyleaf Pondweed
  • Zebra Mussel

The Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.

  • Black Bullhead
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Black Crappie
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black and white crappie, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Bluegill
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Channel Catfish
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 8 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 30 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Except for border lakes
  • Largemouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
    • Length Limit: 15-inch minimum
    • Other:
  • Northern Pike
    • Season: Continuous, except for boundary lakes
    • Daily Bag Limit: 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: 6 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Except for border lakes
  • Smallmouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
    • Length Limit: 15-inch minimum
    • Other:
  • Walleye
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • White Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • White Crappie
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black and white crappie, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Yellow Perch
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:

Comprehensive sampling surveys were completed the summer of 2023 to assess the fishery. This followed the removal of a substantial amount of big mouth buffalo and common carp the winter before. 9,300 total fish were sampled during these surveys, most of which were batch counts of young of the year bluegill, black crappie and pumpkinseed. A large number of adult large mouth bass, walleye, yellow bass and yellow perch were also collected. A large spawn from many different species should hopefully fill the void left by the commercially harvested fish. Rapid growth should be expected in the coming years from young of the year and sub adult fish of various species that were found in good numbers such as walleye, largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. Anglers should also be able to start harvesting from a larger year class of 10+ inch black crappie in the coming years. (2023)

Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.

Contacts

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed. Some limitations may apply for young children and pregnant women. Here’s a Fish Consumption Fact Sheet from the Iowa DNR and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health for more information.