| Most area lakes have 14 or more inches of ice, but many lakes still have areas of open water that have persisted throughout the winter. Permanent Ice shelters must be removed from lakes and state property beginning February 20th unless occupied overnight. The Walleye season on the IGL's is now closed until May 3rd. For the most up to date information, call 712-330-2542 |
| The lake is fully ice covered with around 17 inches of ice. |
| Walleye - Fair: Anglers have had some success in the morning and afternoon. |
Walleye anglers will see an upswing to the fishery as good numbers of angler acceptable sized fish enter the fishery. Crappie anglers, fishing the shallow water in April and May will catch angler acceptable size crappie during the upcoming spring 2017 season. Continued good growth of the crappie population will provide an upswing to the fishery as excellent number of crappie 10 inches and larger will be available to sustain the fishery for the next few years. Channel catfish opportunities will be limited in Ingham Lake. Continued good growth of the channel catfish stocked in 2012 will provide an upswing to the fishery during the 2017 season as numbers of angler acceptable size fish will be available. Anglers will need patience as limited opportunities will increase times between bites; however, persistence will be rewarded with good numbers of fish in the creel. “Bull headers” will experience excellent angling at Ingham Lake for several years with numerous angler acceptable size fish available. (2017)
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 .