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Lake Wapello

General Information

County: Davis
Location: 7 miles west of Drakesville on the west side of V17
Acres: 289.00
Maximum Depth: 35.1 ft. (2015)
Motoring Restrictions: No Size Limit at No Wake

Nearby Parks

Lake Wapello State Park

Amenities

Amenities at Lake Wapello include:
  • Fishing Jetty
  • Accessible Pier
  • Boat Rental
  • 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. Skim ice is forming along the lake edges and coves. Ice is not thick enough to support anglers.
Black Crappie - Slow: Target the cedar tree piles with small jigs.
Bluegill - Slow: Try small jigs around the brush piles.
Largemouth Bass - No Report: Try plastics around the brush piles and the rip-rapped shoreline.

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map

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

  • September 2022 - 2,905 Channel Catfish (8.9)
  • 09/22/2020 - 289 Channel Catfish (8.3)
  • 09/25/2018 - 2,002 Channel Catfish (9)
  • 9/22/16 - 1,607 Channel Catfish (9.1")
  • 6/16/2016 - 3,130 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.3")
  • 6/16/2016 - 3,132 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.4")
  • 06/29/2015 - 2,715 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.7")
  • 06/16/2016 - 2,730 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (2")
  • annual 2014 - 3,541 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (2")
  • 09/22/2014 - 1,714 Channel Catfish (8")

  • Brittle Naiad

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: Catch and release only
    • Possession Limit: Catch and release only
    • Length Limit: Catch and release only
    • Other:

The hybrid striped bass fishery was evaluated in 2017. Fish up to 20 inches were captured. These stockings were part of a statewide research project that ended in 2016; new stockings are not expected.(2017)

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.