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West Okoboji Lake

General Information

County: Dickinson
Location: northwest edge of Arnolds Park
Acres: 3847.00
Maximum Depth: 138.9 ft. (2014)
Motoring Restrictions: none

Nearby Parks

Lower Gar State Recreation Area
Mini-Wakan State Park
Gull Point State Park
Gull Point State Park
Marble Beach State Recreation Area
Emerson Bay State Recreation Area
Elinor Bedell State Park
Pikes Point State Park
Templar State Recreation Area

Amenities

Amenities at West Okoboji Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Boat Rental
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Trails
  • Accessible Facilities
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline
  • Fish Cleaning Station

Most lakes are now completely frozen over and have good access at ramp locations. Most area lakes have 7 or more inches of ice, but many of the larger lakes have holes that have frozen over more recently. Recent snows have covered some of these recently frozen areas making it difficult to differentiate. Check ice often when going out.
A few of the bays now have fishable ice, but the main basin has only frozen over more recently.
Black Crappie - Fair:
Bluegill - Good:
Most area lakes have 8.5 or more inches of ice, but many of the larger lakes have thinner areas that have frozen over more recently. Recent snows have covered some of these recently frozen areas making it difficult to differentiate. Check ice often when going out.
Bluegill - Good:
Most areas are now fishable by foot, but there are still many unsafe areas out on the main lake.
Black Crappie - Fair:

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map

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

  • 6/21/22 - 199 Muskellunge (14)
  • 09/15/2020 - 9,313 Walleye (6.5)
  • 05/16/2019 - 62 Muskellunge (13.1)
  • 10/12/2018 - 19,027 Walleye (6.7)
  • 9/28/2017 - 9,627 Walleye (7.6")
  • 5/4/2017 - 1,100,000 Walleye (fry)
  • 5/10/2017 - 390 Muskellunge (13.1")
  • 11/1/2017 - 3,584 Walleye (9")
  • 10/23/2017 - 1,000 Walleye (9")
  • fall 2016 - 4,588 Walleye (9.8")
  • 9/27/16 - 9,617 Walleye (7.2")
  • 5/10/16 - 425 Muskellunge (14.5")
  • 10/29/2015 - 6,849 Walleye (8")
  • 09/25/2015 - 9,618 Walleye (8")
  • 05/12/2015 - 560 Muskellunge (12.3")
  • 09/15/2014 - 19,417 Walleye (7")
  • 05/20/2014 - 425 Muskellunge (10.5")

  • Bighead Carp
  • Brittle Naiad
  • Curlyleaf Pondweed
  • Eurasian Watermilfoil
  • Silver Carp
  • Zebra Mussel

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

  • Bigmouth Buffalo
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Black Bullhead
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • 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
  • Brown Bullhead
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • 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: Except for border lakes
  • 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.
  • Freshwater Drum
    • 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: 15-inch minimum
    • Other:
  • Muskellunge
    • Season: Open from May 21 - November 30
    • 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:
  • Northern Pike
    • Season: Continuous, except for boundary lakes
    • Daily Bag Limit: 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: 6 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Except for border lakes
  • Pumpkinseed
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Smallmouth 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: May 7, 2022 through Feb. 14, 2023
    • Daily Bag Limit: 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: 6 fish
    • Length Limit: all 19 to 25-inch walleyes must be immediately released alive
    • Other: No more than one walleye longer than 25 inches may be taken per day
  • 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
  • White Sucker
    • 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.
  • Yellow Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Yellow Bullhead
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Yellow Perch
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:

Fishing at West Okoboji Lake has been good in recent years, especially when it comes to panfish. There has been consistent recruitment in recent years creating good year classes of 8-9 inch bluegill that have been providing excellent fishing throughout the warm and cold-water seasons. Yellow Perch have also seen consistent recruitment, but often require a good amount of sorting in order to take home many 9+ inch fish. Recently a large year class of young of the year Black Crappie has been observed which should offer great fishing opportunities in the next couple years as these young fish continue to grow. Northern Pike anglers have been successful at catching many 30+ inch fish in recent season. The Muskellunge fishery has been great in recent years with some anglers reporting over 20+ catches a season with fish pushing up over 50 inches. Bass anglers have also been very successful in the last year. There is currently a large year class of 15+ inch Largemouth Bass with some fish pushing up above 20 inches. A large year class of 14+ inch Smallmouth Bass has also been observed, which will provide great fishing opportunities in the coming season. Walleye catch has been somewhat inconsistent, but recent changes to the slot limit in the last year has opened up the opportunity to catch fish that had previously been in the old slot. Currently the protected Walleye slot is 19-25 inches. There is still a bag limit of 3 fish where one of those fish can be over 25 inches. (2022)

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.