Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs

Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs DNR Homepage

About Discovery Pond

Surface Area (acres): 2.80
Maximum Depth (feet): 11 ft. (1996 - Two Dam Pond - the pond was "recently dredged to this depth")
Motoring Restrictions: None
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Polk
Description: Pond in Jester Park
Coordinates: 41.78563597, -93.79176600

Nearby Parks

Big Creek State Park

Amenities

Amenities at Discovery Pond include:

Fishing Jetty
Good/Excellent Shorefishing
Carry Down Boat Launch
Accessible Shoreline
Community Fishing Location

What to Fish For

Fishing Report

- No recent updates found

Popular Fish Species

Fishing Forecast

Discovery Pond is an excellent place to introduce new anglers to fishing. Bluegills sampled in 2021 were 4- to 7.5-inches. Largemouth bass are abundant from 8- to 13-inches.(2021)

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 .

Where to Go

Explore the full Fishing Atlas

Stocking and Management

Stocking

09/21/2021 - 50 Channel Catfish (9.2)
09/12/2019 - 45 Channel Catfish (8.7)
9/18/2017 - 45 Channel Catfish (8.2")
09/28/2015 - 45 Channel Catfish (8")

Management

2013 - Stocking-Largemouth Bass: Two Dam Pond - The fishery was restarted with an initial stocking of largemouth bass taken from Fort Des Moines Pond ranging in size from 5 to 18 inches.
2012 - Dredging-Other: Two Dam Pond - Pond was dredged with fish habitat grant and county match.
2012 - Fishery Renovation-Chemical-Rotenone: Two Dam Pond - The fishery was killed during pond draw down for planned dredging.

Regulations and Who to Talk To

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: None

Contacts for this Location

Nate Anderson, Conservation Officer; 515-238-4849; Nate.Anderson@dnr.iowa.gov
Ben Dodd, Fisheries Biologist; 641-891-3795; Ben.Dodd@dnr.iowa.gov
Austin Durnan, Conservation Officer; 515-238-5006; austin.durnan@dnr.iowa.gov

Fishing Regulations

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: combined black bass, 3 fish
Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
Length Limit: 15-inch minimum
Other:

Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - Discovery Pond