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Lower Gar Lake

General Information

County: Dickinson
Location: ½ mile south of Arnolds Park
Acres: 251.00
Maximum Depth: 6.9 ft. (2015)
Motoring Restrictions: none

Nearby Parks

Lower Gar State Recreation Area
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 Lower Gar Lake include:
  • Picnic Area
  • Trails
  • Restrooms
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing

No recent updates

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map

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

    • Curlyleaf Pondweed
    • Eurasian Watermilfoil
    • 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
    • Brown Bullhead
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
      • Possession Limit: unlimited
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other:
    • 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:
    • 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 Bass
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: none
      • Possession Limit: unlimited
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other:

    Catch walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, bullheads, largemouth bass and panfish in Lower Gar Lake during spring. The bridge and north shoreline are constant producers; but, don't overlook other areas. Fish northern pike and channel catfish shortly after the ice out using cut bait fished on the bottom. Walleye anglers will produce good results casting twisters and other traditional baits throughout the spring season. Action starts early after ice out for bluegill, yellow perch and crappie anglers. Fish the shallow water habitat and docks throughout the spring for a good mixed bag of fish. Fishing the shallow water areas along the state park will provide bullhead anglers excellent opportunities to catch exceptional numbers of large fish. Other species (white bass and largemouth bass) caught by the specialized Lower Gar Lake angler will be an occasional event; anglers will be pleased by the current size of these species. (2015)

    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.