| Area water temperatures are in the upper 70s to mid 80s. Most fish species have finished spawning and have moved off beds towards deeper waters. Most lakes are above crest level. Panfishing has continued to be very good even with the higher temps. For the most up to date information, call 712-330-2542 |
| Black Crappie - Good: |
| The crappie bite has been good recently, but with some sorting needed. |
Center Lake is a 220-acre lake located in the center of the Iowa Great Lakes region in Dickinson County. Maximum depth is 17.9 feet. An electrofishing survey was conducted on May 22 and May 23, 2025, as part of the comprehensive survey process. Largemouth Bass (48 fish/hour) and Bluegill (46.4 fish/hour) were abundant and should offer favorable angling opportunities. Largemouth Bass length averaged 9.3 inches and ranged from 4.5 to 17.7 inches. Largemouth Bass weight averaged 0.52 pounds and ranged from 0.04 to 3.2 pounds. Mean relative weight of Largemouth Bass was 104, indicating that the average fish had a healthy weight relative to its length. Bluegill length averaged 5.6 inches and ranged from 1.5 to 8.1 inches. Bluegill weight averaged 0.2 pounds and ranged from 0.04 to 0.5 pounds. Mean relative weight of Bluegills was 109, indicating that the average fish was fairly heavy relative to its length. Black Crappie (23.2 fish/hour) and Pumpkinseed (14.4 fish/hour) were moderately abundant and should provide decent angling opportunities. Black Crappie length averaged 7.5 inches, ranging from 6.7 to 9.8 inches. Black Crappie weight averaged 0.23 pounds and ranged from 0.2 to 0.4 pounds. Mean relative weight of Black Crappies was 101, indicating that the average fish had a healthy weight relative to its length. Pumpkinseed length averaged 5.9 inches and ranged from 4.2 to 7.8 inches. Pumpkinseed weight averaged 0.2 pounds and ranged from 0.06 to 0.3 pounds. Mean relative weight of Pumpkinseeds was 110, indicating that the average fish was fairly heavy relative to its length. Walleye (8.8 fish/hour) and Yellow Perch (8.8 fish/hour) were also documented in the survey. Walleye length averaged 12.7 inches, ranging from 10.2 to 24.9 inches. The average Walleye was 1 pound, with weights ranging from 0.34 to 5.4 pounds. Mean relative weight of Walleye was 86, indicating that the average fish was skinny. Yellow Perch length averaged 5.8 inches and ranged from 3.6 to 8.7 inches. Yellow Perch weight averaged 0.2 pounds, ranging from 0.18 to 0.28 pounds. Mean relative weight of Yellow Perch was 86, indicating that the average fish was skinny. Fish species observed in low abundance included Black Bullhead (N = 1, length = 3.0 inches), Common Carp (N = 3, length range = 16.0–27.4 inches, weight range = 2.5–12.0 pounds), Freshwater Drum (N = 1, length = 16.9 inches, weight = 2.4 pounds), Green Sunfish (N = 5, length range = 3.1–5.3 inches, weight range = 0.04–0.12 pounds), Yellow Bass (N = 3, length range = 8.2–9.6 inches, weight range = 0.3–0.5 pounds), and Yellow Bullhead (N = 7, length range = 6.6–9.9 inches, weight range = 0.1–0.6 pounds). Overall, Center Lake’s sportfish populations are in good shape in 2025. Additional Center Lake fish surveys are planned for summer and fall 2025. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Iowa’s fisheries, please contact Andrew Carlson, Fisheries Biologist, at andrew.carlson@dnr.iowa.gov or (712) 330-3706.(2025)
In nearly all cases, Iowa fish are safe to eat. Cleaning and/or preparing the meal causes most of the problems regarding taste or color of fish. Like all living creatures, fish are susceptible to diseases, parasites, and other naturally occurring conditions in the water. If you suspect your fish is affected by any of these conditions, do not eat it. Consider eating smaller and younger fish which usually have lower levels of contaminants than larger ones. Most contaminants accumulate in larger, older fish. For additional information, check out our resources for eating and cooking Iowa caught fish.
To learn more about fish tissue monitoring, visit our Fish Tissue Monitoring page .