Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - Diamond Lake


About Diamond Lake

Surface Area (acres): 143.00
Maximum Depth (feet): 7 ft. (1991)
Motoring Restrictions: None
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Dickinson
Description: Diamond
Coordinates: 43.48211103, -95.19098284

Amenities

Amenities at Diamond Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline

Fishing Report

Please contact the local fisheries management biologist for current information.

Fishing Summary

Diamond Lake is a 143-acre lake located in Dickinson County. Maximum depth measures 7 feet. An exploratory fyke-netting survey was performed on March 26 and 27, 2025 as part of the Iowa DNR general survey protocol. Black Bullheads were very abundant (380/net night) in the survey. Northern Pike were abundant (21/net night) and small, averaging 16.7 inches and ranging from 10.6 to 21.2 inches. Northern Pike weight averaged 1.1 pounds and ranged from 0.3 to 2.3 pounds. Mean relative weight of Northern Pike was 96, indicating that the average fish was in good condition (i.e., had a healthy weight for its length). Fish species observed in low abundance included Bluegill (N = 2, length range = 1.8–7.0 inches), Green Sunfish (N = 1, length = 4.1 inches), Johnny Darter (N = 1, length = 2.05 inches), Pumpkinseed (N = 6, length range = 2.7–6.0 inches), Tadpole Madtom (N = 1, length = 4.5 inches), Yellow Bullhead (N = 9, length range = 5.8–13.3 inches), and Yellow Perch (N = 6, length range = 3.8–13.5 inches). Yellow Perch weight averaged 0.57 pounds and ranged from 0.03 to an impressive 1.4 pounds. Mean relative weight of Yellow Perch was 108, indicating that the average fish was in good condition. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Iowa’s fisheries, please contact fisheries biologist Andrew Carlson at andrew.carlson@dnr.iowa.gov or (712) 330-3706. - Last updated on 07/28/2025.

Consumption Guidelines

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

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 .

Stocking

  • 7/14/23 - 4,662 Largemouth Bass (1.3)
  • 9/29/22 - 43,230 Bluegill (2)
  • 6/3/22 - 778 Northern Pike (2.1)
  • 6/24/22 - 15,046 Yellow Perch (1.6)
  • 4/21/22 - 55,370 Northern Pike (Fry)
  • 10/3/22 - 736 Largemouth Bass (3.2)
  • 06/28/2021 - 1,449 Largemouth Bass (1.6)
  • 06/18/2021 - 20,772 Yellow Perch (1)
  • 04/08/2021 - 40,396 Northern Pike (Fry)
  • 06/06/2018 - 1,755 Bluegill (4)
  • 06/05/2018 - 2,762 Northern Pike (2.7)
  • 05/02/2018 - 250 Yellow Perch (7.5)
  • 04/27/2018 - 25,740 Northern Pike (Fry)

Management

  • 2014 - Water Sampling-Dissolved Oxygen: Winter D.O. readings were taken under the ice.
  • 2013 - Water Sampling-Dissolved Oxygen: Winter D.O. readings were taken under the ice.
  • 2011 - Survey-Population: evaluate shallow lake project and evaluate northern pike and yellow perch stockings
  • 2010 - Water Sampling-Dissolved Oxygen: January and February winter dissolved D.O. reading.
  • 2010 - Survey-Population: DC Electrofishing was conducted to detemine winterkill assessment of yellow perch that were stocked last year. Three male yellow perch (5-6 inches) and adult fathead minnows were sampled.
  • 2010 - Stocking-Yellow Perch: A total of 105,280 three inch yellow perch were stocked
  • 2010 - Stocking-Northern Pike: a total of 26,850 1 inch northern pike were stocked
  • 2010 - Stocking-Northern Pike: A total of 1,687 3 inch northern pike were stocked
  • 2010 - Water Sampling-Other: monthly water quality monitoring
  • 2010 - Survey-Population: Electrofish Survey to evaluate Yellow Perch and Northern Pike stocking success
  • 2010 - Survey-Population: Fyke Net survey to determine Yellow Perch and Northern Pike stocking success
  • 2009 - Other-Other: Rock fish barrier installed end of February 2009 to prevent the infestation of rough fish into Diamond Lake.
  • 2009 - Other-Other: Water levels lowered through spring, 2009.
  • 2009 - Other-Other: Fisheries and wildlife teams hosted a field day (July 6, 2009) to assess and identify plant species and discuss mangement strategies.
  • 2009 - Other-Other: Lake allowed to slowly refill late summer and fall, 2009.
  • 2009 - Stocking-Yellow Perch: June 16th - 80,000 one inch yellow perch were stocked.
  • 2009 - Other-Other: Ducks Unlimited hosted a dedication ceromony July 11, 2009.
  • 2009 - Vegetation-Planting: Yellow Water Lilies were introduced as a desirable native species. Twenty rhizomes from Cheever Lake in Emmet Co. were placed in the NW corner of Diamond Lake. Lilies were still thriving into the fall of 2009.
  • 2009 - Other-Other: Bird surveys were conducted by Ed Thelen to determine species usage pre and post lake improvement.
  • 2009 - Other-Other: Shallow Lake Monitoring-vegetation, invertebrates and zooplankton sampled, enumerated and identified.
  • 2009 - Water Sampling-Other: Water Quality samples conducted summer-fall.
  • 2009 - Vegetation-Treatment: Apply Aquastar late summer on cattails to open a channel for boat access at the boat ramp. Used the Fish and Wildlife Service's Marsh Master (amphibious tank) to apply chemical with.
  • 2009 - Stocking-Yellow Perch: Was stocked with 1" yellow perch on June 17th (72,963 total stocked)

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: None

Contacts for this Location

Fishing Regulations

The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit. Familiarize yourself with the complete Fishing Regulations here: Iowa DNR Fishing Regulations and Laws.

Aquatic Invasive Species

    No known aquatic invasive species have been found

To learn more about AIS, visit the Iowa DNR's Aquatic Invasive Species page for more information and resources.

Fish Surveys

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