Terra Lake
General Information
County: Polk
Location: Within city of Johnston south of Pioneer Parkway.
Acres: 7.30
Maximum Depth:
Motoring Restrictions:
Nearby Parks
Amenities
Amenities at Terra Lake include:
- Accessible Pier
- Picnic Area
- Trails
- Accessible Facilities
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Good/Excellent Shorefishing
- Carry Down Boat Launch
- Community Fishing Location
| For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885. |
| Rainbow Trout - Good: Trout were stocked on Monday October 28. Catch trout casting spinners, spoons, blade baits, live minnows, wax worms or floating flies. |
You can zoom in on the map for bathymetric information for some lakes
- Winter 2022 - 3,693 Rainbow Trout (12)
- Winter 2021 - 2,600 Rainbow Trout (12)
- 09/29/2021 - 130 Channel Catfish (9)
- Annual 2020 - 1,816 Rainbow Trout (12)
- annual 2019 - 2,032 Rainbow Trout (10.8)
- 09/12/2019 - 151 Channel Catfish (8.7)
- October 2018 - 800 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
- 10/09/2018 - 153 Channel Catfish (8.3)
- 9/18/2017 - 150 Channel Catfish (8.2")
- 09/29/2015 - 150 Channel Catfish (8")
- 04/15/2015 - 2,550 Bluegill (2")
- 03/23/2015 - 16 Largemouth Bass (Adult)
No known aquatic invasive species have been found
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:
- Rainbow Trout
- Season: Continuous
- Daily Bag Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 5 fish
- Possession Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 10 fish
- Length Limit: none
- Other: Anglers must have paid the Trout Fee to fish for or possess trout
The fishery in Terra Lake has developed well since 2015. A fish survey in 2018 showed 6- to 14-inch largemouth bass and bluegills under 5 inches. Larger fish, especially bluegills, are present, but evaded capture due to very clear water at the time of sampling. The originally stocked channel catfish are around 18-inches long. Catchable size trout are here from November through April. (2019)
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.