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Pleasant Creek Lake

General Information

County: Linn
Location: 4 miles North of Palo
Acres: 400.00
Maximum Depth: 55.2 ft. (2020)
Motoring Restrictions: No Size Limit at No Wake

Nearby Parks

Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area

Amenities

Amenities at Pleasant Creek Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Fishing Jetty
  • Accessible Pier
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Trails
  • Accessible Facilities
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline
  • Fish Cleaning Station

There is very little safe ice south of Highway 30 at this time. For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Most of the lake skimmed over but there are some open areas as well.

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map
Download Printable Fishing Structures Map

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

  • 6/22/22 - 3,080 Smallmouth Bass (2)
  • 6/21/22 - 4,120 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.2)
  • 5/9/22 - 1,200,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 5/19/22 - 500,000 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (Fry)
  • 5/16/22 - 401 Muskellunge (12.8)
  • 10/20/22 - 3,137 Walleye (8.9)
  • September 2021 - 2,406 Channel Catfish (9.2)
  • November 2021 - 2,049 Walleye (9)
  • 06/29/2021 - 5,235 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.7)
  • 06/25/2021 - 10 Smallmouth Bass (Adult)
  • 06/25/2021 - 2,100 Smallmouth Bass (3)
  • 06/18/2021 - 4,928 Smallmouth Bass (1.3)
  • 05/20/2021 - 300,000 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (Fry)
  • 04/28/2021 - 1,200,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 11/16/2020 - 2,871 Walleye (9)
  • 06/24/2020 - 10 Smallmouth Bass (Adult)
  • 06/24/2020 - 8,000 Smallmouth Bass (1.3)
  • 05/12/2020 - 410 Muskellunge (12.4)
  • 10/28/2019 - 2,049 Walleye (9.1)
  • 07/03/2019 - 12 Smallmouth Bass (Adult)
  • 07/03/2019 - 5,145 Smallmouth Bass (2)
  • 06/28/2019 - 4,100 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.6)
  • 05/01/2019 - 1,230,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/23/2018 - 2,050 Walleye (8.7)
  • 07/03/2018 - 2,923 Smallmouth Bass (1.5)
  • 06/29/2018 - 4,180 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.68)
  • 05/14/2018 - 410 Muskellunge (12.1)
  • 05/10/2018 - 300,000 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (Fry)
  • 05/08/2018 - 1,200,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 6/30/2017 - 5,480 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (2")
  • 6/28/2017 - 4,120 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (2")
  • 6/12/2017 - 9 Smallmouth Bass (14" - 18")
  • 5/9/2017 - 18 Smallmouth Bass (12" - 18")
  • 4/25/2017 - 1,230,000 Walleye (fry)
  • 4/12/2017 - 20 Smallmouth Bass (15" - 19")
  • 10/25/2017 - 3,110 Walleye (9")
  • 10/24/2017 - 990 Walleye (9")
  • 9/19/16 - 2,460 Channel Catfish (9.2")
  • 6/22/2016 - 4,194 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.5")
  • 5/9/16 - 410 Muskellunge (14.5")
  • 5/11/16 - 300,000 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (Fry)
  • 4/27/16 - 1,230,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/25/16 - 4,103 Walleye (10.3")
  • 10/20/2015 - 4,077 Walleye (8")
  • 06/18/2015 - 4,474 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.5")
  • 05/06/2015 - 400,000 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (Fry)
  • 04/27/2015 - 1,230,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • annual 2014 - 4,100 Walleye (8")
  • 09/19/2014 - 2,449 Channel Catfish (8")
  • 05/22/2014 - 400,000 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (Fry)
  • 05/20/2014 - 466 Muskellunge (10.5")
  • 05/05/2014 - 1,230,000 Walleye (Fry)

  • Brittle Naiad
  • Curlyleaf Pondweed

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

  • 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:
  • Common Carp
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.
  • Green Sunfish
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Largemouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
    • Length Limit: 18-inch minimum
    • Other:
  • Muskellunge
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined: muskellunge and tiger muskellunge, 1 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined: muskellunge and tiger muskellunge, 1 fish
    • Length Limit: 40-inch minimum
    • Other:
  • Quillback
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.
  • 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:

Pleasant Creek did not have a general survey this year, but anglers can expect moderate bluegills up to 9 inches. Crappie numbers are poor. White bass numbers are good with lots of 10- to 16-inch fish. Hybrid striped bass numbers are good with fish up to 6 pounds. These fish have only been in here up to 4 years and will continue to grow at a high rate. Largemouth bass numbers are good, but size is marginal as most fish are usually under 16 inches. Musky numbers are good with most fish caught being in the 36- to 42-inch range. Channel catfish are moderate in numbers and can be up to 15 pounds. Night electrofishing was done this fall and there are good numbers of walleyes. Many 10- to 19-inch fish with fish up to 30 inches available. There is also a large number of 7- to 8 fish coming on thanks to fry stocking in the spring and large fingerlings stocked in the fall. A restoration project projected to start in the fall of 2015 which will include the drawing down of the lake by 15 feet. At this time, shorelines will be deepened, shores will be rocked, reefs and islands will be created, and fish habitat will be placed. The fish will not be manipulated and the project is hoped to be completed by spring of 2016, mother nature depending. (2014)

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.