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Ingham Lake

General Information

County: Emmet
Location: 6 miles east of Wallingford
Acres: 357.00
Maximum Depth: 10.6 ft. (2014)
Motoring Restrictions: none

Nearby Parks

Fort Defiance State Park

Amenities

Amenities at Ingham Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Trails
  • Accessible Facilities
  • Playground
  • Camping
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp

Most area lakes have 8.5 or more inches of ice, but many of the larger lakes have thinner areas that have frozen over more recently. Recent snows have covered some of these recently frozen areas making it difficult to differentiate. Check ice often when going out.
The lake is fully ice covered with around 9.5 inches of ice.
Walleye - Fair: Anglers have had some success in the morning and afternoon.

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map

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

  • 9/14/22 - 1,500 Channel Catfish (8.6)
  • 5/9/22 - 178,500 Walleye (Fry)
  • 05/05/2021 - 183,400 Walleye (Fry)
  • 09/23/2020 - 2,743 Walleye (6.1)
  • 09/10/2020 - 2,144 Channel Catfish (8.1)
  • 08/06/2019 - 2,136 Walleye (4.5)
  • 05/06/2019 - 199,125 Walleye (Fry)
  • 04/23/2019 - 135,000 Northern Pike (Fry)
  • 04/05/2019 - 76,933 Bluegill (2)
  • 10/25/2018 - 4,028 Walleye (5.1)
  • 10/03/2018 - 2,262 Channel Catfish (8.7)
  • 07/12/2018 - 2,761 Walleye (2.88)
  • 05/15/2018 - 190,260 Walleye (Fry)
  • 5/4/2017 - 184,500 Walleye (fry)
  • 10/25/2017 - 2,459 Walleye (9")
  • 4/26/16 - 181,500 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/6/16 - 2,163 Channel Catfish (9.1")
  • 10/5/16 - 5,335 Walleye (4.5")
  • 10/14/2015 - 5,306 Walleye (6")
  • 04/27/2015 - 178,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/01/2014 - 4,027 Walleye (6")

    No known aquatic invasive species have been found

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
  • 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 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 Bullhead
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Yellow Perch
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:

Walleye anglers will see an upswing to the fishery as good numbers of angler acceptable sized fish enter the fishery. Crappie anglers, fishing the shallow water in April and May will catch angler acceptable size crappie during the upcoming spring 2017 season. Continued good growth of the crappie population will provide an upswing to the fishery as excellent number of crappie 10 inches and larger will be available to sustain the fishery for the next few years. Channel catfish opportunities will be limited in Ingham Lake. Continued good growth of the channel catfish stocked in 2012 will provide an upswing to the fishery during the 2017 season as numbers of angler acceptable size fish will be available. Anglers will need patience as limited opportunities will increase times between bites; however, persistence will be rewarded with good numbers of fish in the creel. “Bull headers” will experience excellent angling at Ingham Lake for several years with numerous angler acceptable size fish available. (2017)

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.