West okoboji lake fishing

People are drawn to water magnetically, spiritually. Anglers are among the most ardent to seek lakes of fortune. They come from near and far to the waters of Okoboji, lured by the legend of the fisheries, which are healthy, diverse and full of mystery.

Okoboji fishing has been red hot this spring and summer in the Iowa Great Lakes, and I am not referring to the weather! When I'm not guiding customers I've struggled some days on which lake I'd like to fish and which species I'd like to target. My wife and business partner refers to this as "Fish Fever" and the symptoms include a lawn with very long grass, lots of sleepless nights and sometimes smelling like fish which I refer to as spring aftershave. I digress but back to the point, no matter which lake you fish right now in the Iowa Great Lakes, anglers are having great success and easily put fish in the net. The panfish bite on these 2 lakes was exceptional due in part to good water clarity on both lakes most of the spring. We boated a fair share of larger Yellow Bass in excess of 9" in addition to Crappies measuring " throughout April.

West okoboji lake fishing

Ice thickness is 12 inches or less in most areas. Black Crappie - Fair: Use minnows and plastics. Bluegill - Fair: Try a small hook and piece of worm. In deeper water, use pilkies with wigglers or a slip bobber setup. Walleye - Fair. Yellow Perch - Fair: Sorting will most likely be needed. West Okoboji Lake The lake is fully iced up. West Okoboji is one of the last lakes to completely ice up; it has some of the thinner ice in the area. Foot traffic and small ATV use should be possible in most areas. Use caution. Black Crappie - Fair: Try small jigs tipped with a minnow. Bluegill - Good: Use pilkies with wigglers or a slip bobber setup. Pumpkinseed - Good. Walleye - Good: Minnows and plastics work well. Yellow Perch - Fair: Sorting may be needed.

Bass fishing on West Okoboji can be pretty exciting and there are days where the "Big Bass" come out to play and it can be some of the best rod bending action there is in Iowa. Until fall arrives In deeper water, use pilkies with wigglers or west okoboji lake fishing slip bobber setup.

Noted for clear water and an abundance of popular sportfish, they cover nearly 14, acres. Three primary lakes, Spirit, East Okoboji, and West Okoboji, account for more than 80 percent of the total surface area. Offering nearly 3, surface acres, West Okoboji is the second largest, behind Spirit Lake, in the chain. Its average depth is 38 feet, with a maximum of It features numerous coves and bays that often offer protection from wind and waves on blustery days. Shorelines feature steep breaks that drop into the mid-lake depths.

Ice thickness is 12 inches or less in most areas. Black Crappie - Fair: Use minnows and plastics. Bluegill - Fair: Try a small hook and piece of worm. In deeper water, use pilkies with wigglers or a slip bobber setup. Walleye - Fair. Yellow Perch - Fair: Sorting will most likely be needed. West Okoboji Lake The lake is fully iced up. West Okoboji is one of the last lakes to completely ice up; it has some of the thinner ice in the area. Foot traffic and small ATV use should be possible in most areas.

West okoboji lake fishing

Where we fish will also be determined based on safe ice conditions. We provide the best premium service on the ice in the Iowa Great Lakes and give you an ice fishing experience you will not forget which includes lunch on the ice! We use quality equipment to add to your experience on the ice from Clam Outdoors. If you like the precision ice fishing rods we use from JT Outdoor Products you can purchase that day direct from us! All trips are 4 hrs minimum in length but we will fish as long as you like up to 6 hrs.

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Offering nearly 3, surface acres, West Okoboji is the second largest, behind Spirit Lake, in the chain. Anglers are among the most ardent to seek lakes of fortune. The Yellow Bass bite continues to be strong on East Okoboji and will only get better as we approach the end of July and get into August and September. Download Printable Lake Map. View all posts by: Chad Loreth. They come from near and far to the waters of Okoboji, lured by the legend of the fisheries, which are healthy, diverse and full of mystery. Fish have moved out to the deeper weed edges and this is one of my favorite times of the year to fish panfish on West Okoboji and target them with slip bobbers. Elinor Bedell State Park provides shore fishing access, camping and day use facilities. Walleye - Good: Minnows and plastics work well. Bass anglers have also been very successful in the last year. Cabins for Sale.

The Iowa Guide. We offer guide trips for anglers of all skill levels with emphasis on learning and enjoyment.

Access is also available from a connected lake, East Okoboji. Emerson Bay offers fishable docks that draw panfish soon after ice-out, but the action continues through the spawn. People are drawn to water magnetically, spiritually. Post-spawn fish the area between Eagle Point on the north side of Emerson Bay and Pocahontas Point to the south using the jig heads already mentioned, tipped with a worm, waxworm, or soft plastic bait, drift along the bar at a depth where weeds are beginning to emerge from the bottom and keep the jig just above the weed tops. There's just something about running crankbaits behind planer boards to put big walleyes in the boat for the camera lense that I cannot pass up early in the season. By Greg Drees People are drawn to water magnetically, spiritually. To keep up to date on the latest fishing information follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or check out our website igloutdoors. It holds more Iowa all-time big fish records than any other lake in the state. In addition, we caught a number of nicer Bluegills for East Okoboji and boated several perch through late April and early May and June. Only 6 percent of the lake's