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Brushy Creek Lake

General Information

County: Webster
Location: 5 miles east of Lehigh
Acres: 690.00
Maximum Depth: 77.5 ft. (2013)
Motoring Restrictions: No Size Limit at No Wake

Nearby Parks

Dolliver Memorial State Park
Brushy Creek State Recreation Area

Amenities

Amenities at Brushy 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

The near shore bite has been fair to good. Water temperatures continue to cool down. Most ramp docks have been removed. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Black Crappie - Slow: Find crappie in 5-10 feet of water near submerged wood structure.
Bluegill - Slow: Look for bluegill around submerged structure in 3-10 feet of water.
Largemouth Bass - Fair: Fish in areas along shore with wood structure.
Walleye - Slow:
Yellow Perch - Fair:

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map
Download Printable Fishing Structures Map

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

  • September 2022 - 4,138 Channel Catfish (9.2)
  • October 2022 - 3,541 Walleye (9)
  • 5/5/22 - 1,519,215 Walleye (Fry)
  • 5/17/22 - 254 Muskellunge (12.8)
  • 10/28/2021 - 3,422 Walleye (9.7)
  • 05/12/2021 - 254 Muskellunge (>12)
  • 04/30/2021 - 1,496,978 Walleye (Fry)
  • September 2020 - 4,141 Channel Catfish (8)
  • October 2020 - 3,456 Walleye (8.7)
  • 05/13/2020 - 254 Muskellunge (12.4)
  • 04/28/2020 - 1,496,978 Walleye (Fry)
  • October 2019 - 3,453 Walleye (9.4)
  • 05/15/2019 - 254 Muskellunge (13.2)
  • 05/06/2019 - 1,500,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/25/2018 - 3,421 Walleye (8.4)
  • 09/18/2018 - 4,140 Channel Catfish (8.6)
  • 05/14/2018 - 255 Muskellunge (12.1)
  • 05/09/2018 - 1,497,300 Walleye (Fry)
  • 5/11/2017 - 269 Muskellunge (13.1")
  • 4/28/2017 - 1,508,500 Walleye (fry)
  • 10/27/2017 - 2,434 Walleye (8.9")
  • 10/23/2017 - 1,020 Walleye (9")
  • 9/20/16 - 4,140 Channel Catfish (9.2")
  • 5/10/16 - 254 Muskellunge (14.5")
  • 5/10/16 - 300 Muskellunge (14.5")
  • 4/29/16 - 1,500,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/24/16 - 3,477 Walleye (9.6")
  • 10/13/2015 - 3,458 Walleye (8")
  • 05/11/2015 - 254 Muskellunge (12.3")
  • 04/29/2015 - 1,496,978 Walleye (Fry)
  • 09/25/2014 - 12,432 Walleye (6")
  • 09/15/2014 - 4,141 Channel Catfish (8")
  • 08/06/2014 - 8,837 Walleye (2-3")
  • 06/02/2014 - 21,004 Walleye (2")

  • Brittle Naiad
  • Curlyleaf Pondweed
  • Eurasian Watermilfoil

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

Brushy Creek consistently produces good fishing for bluegill, crappie, walleye, largemouth bass and muskie. Yellow perch are a bonus and good numbers can be caught at times. Brushy Creek is home to very large walleye and many 40-inch plus muskie. The catfish population has lot of large individuals. Sampling has shown many channel catfish over 10 pounds. Brushy Creek is deeper than most lakes in the region, so water temperatures warm and cool slower here. Because of its depth, Brushy can thermally stratify, so avoid fishing in areas deeper than 16 to 20 feet during the summer heat. Brushy Creek has more habitat that an angler can fish in a day. Look for areas where multiple habitat types meet. For example, fish areas where you find a weed line running into standing timber next to a rocky point. After the first week in July when the curly leaf pondweed dies back, look for any remaining green vegetation and fish around it.(2020)

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.