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Hickory Grove Lake

General Information

County: Story
Location: 3 miles southwest of Colo
Acres: 81.50
Maximum Depth: 33.8 ft. (2022)
Motoring Restrictions: Electric Motors Only

Nearby Parks

Amenities

Amenities at Hickory Grove Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Fishing Jetty
  • Accessible Pier
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Trails
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline

As of January 15, lakes and ponds in Central Iowa had 7-10 inches of ice. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.
As of January 15 Hickory Grove had ice thickness of 7 to 9 inches.
Bluegill - Good: Catch bluegill on waxworms throughout much of the lake. The best pattern has been a late afternoon into evening bite over the dead willow and cottonwood trees that grew while the lake was drained. The portion of the lake with most of this habitat is between the Snow Bunting Lodge and the South Boat Ramp at depths greater than 12 feet.

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map

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

  • 6/15/22 - 8,665 Largemouth Bass (1.5)
  • 06/28/2021 - 7,547 Largemouth Bass (1.6)
  • 05/27/2021 - 5,020 Channel Catfish (1.6)
  • 05/07/2021 - 335,300 Walleye (Fry)
  • 03/30/2021 - 25,500 Bluegill (2.5)
  • 04/24/2020 - 314,709 Walleye (Fry)
  • 03/17/2020 - 30,000 Bluegill (4)
  • 09/21/2015 - 1,000 Channel Catfish (8")

  • Curlyleaf Pondweed

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

  • 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:
  • 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:
  • 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:

The fishery has developed very well since renovation work in 2020. Fishery surveys during 2024 found Largemouth Bass from 8- to 15-inches. The larger bluegills were 7- to 9-inches. Black Crappie numbers are good. Going into winter of 2024/2025 there is a nice group of 9.5- to 10.5-inch crappies. Channel Catfish have reached sizes up to 22-inches. Walleyes are abundant, with most fish being 12- to 14-inches.(2024)

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.