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Hawthorn Lake

General Information

County: Mahaska
Location: 1 mile south of Barnes City on the east side of V13
Acres: 182.00
Maximum Depth: 29.2 ft. (2015 - 29.2')
Motoring Restrictions: No Size Limit at No Wake

Nearby Parks

Amenities

Amenities at Hawthorn Lake include:
  • Fishing Jetty
  • Trails
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline

Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa. Skim ice is forming along the lake edges and in coves. Ice is not thick enough to support anglers.
Black Crappie - Slow: Target brush piles with jig and minnow combinations.
Bluegill - Slow: Target brushpiles with small jigs.
Largemouth Bass - No Report: Target the fishing jetties and rip-rapped shorelines.

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map
Download Printable Fishing Structures Map

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

  • 5/18/22 - 200 Muskellunge (12.8)
  • 10/3/22 - 423 Muskellunge (6.6)
  • Fall 2021 - 1,839 Channel Catfish (8.9)
  • 05/13/2020 - 200 Muskellunge (12.4)
  • 09/12/2019 - 1,800 Channel Catfish (8.7)
  • 05/04/2018 - 199 Muskellunge (11.8)
  • 9/18/2017 - 1,416 Channel Catfish (8.2")
  • 4/28/16 - 200 Muskellunge (10")
  • 09/24/2015 - 1,499 Channel Catfish (8")
  • 05/08/2015 - 200 Muskellunge (12.3")
  • 05/13/2014 - 198 Muskellunge (9.6")

  • 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: All 12 to16-inch fish must be immediately released
    • 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:

Black crappie abundance is high and angling for large fish was excellent in 2020, especially early in the year. Most fish are over nine inches but a very larger proportion is greater than 10 inches. Bluegill angling continues to improve, abundance is high, and fish approaching 9 inches were sampled in 2020. Redear sunfish are also abundant and can be found at sizes greater than 9 inches. Largemouth bass remain abundant, growth is somewhat slow but the size range of fish is good. A high abundance of fish greater than 15 inches is present. Channel catfish are dominated by large fish, many greater than 27 inches in length.(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.