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Red Haw Lake

General Information

County: Lucas
Location: 1 mile east of Chariton on the south side of Highway 34
Acres: 76.00
Maximum Depth: 35.6 ft. (2018 - 35.6')
Motoring Restrictions: Electric Motors Only

Nearby Parks

Red Haw State Park

Amenities

Amenities at Red Haw Lake include:
  • 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

Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa.
Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs around the shorelines and the submerged structure near the campground shoreline.
Channel Catfish - Slow: Try nightcrawlers along the fishing jetties or the face of the dam.
Largemouth Bass - Good: Try plastics along the rip-rapped shorelines and around the fishing jetties.

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map
Download Printable Fishing Structures Map

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

  • 09/29/2021 - 896 Channel Catfish (9.5)
  • 09/09/2019 - 801 Channel Catfish (9)
  • 9/19/2017 - 695 Channel Catfish (8.2")
  • 09/17/2015 - 700 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.

  • 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:
  • 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:

Largemouth bass are abundant and growth rates are good. Most fish are less than 15 inches long. Crappie, bluegill and redear sunfish growth remains slow. Few fish 8 inches and greater are present. We continue to monitor these populations and as these early year classes age growth for all species will improve overall, as will the size of fish available to anglers.(2009)

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. Here is a list of current fish consumption advisories for Iowa lakes and rivers.