Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs

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About Middle Sabula Lake

Surface Area (acres): 350.00
Maximum Depth (feet): 8.9 ft. (2017)
Motoring Restrictions: none
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Jackson
Description: Sabula Lake
Coordinates: 42.06648718, -90.18121812

Nearby Parks

- No results found

Amenities

Amenities at Middle Sabula Lake include:

Boat Access
Accessible Pier
Good/Excellent Shorefishing
Gravel Boat Ramp

What to Fish For

Fishing Report

- No recent updates found

Popular Fish Species

Fishing Forecast

Middle Sabula is still dominated by carp and buffalo but sporadically decent game fish populations emerge mostly due to stocking. Channel Catfish and Hybrid Stripped Bass have both had flurries of good catches and are both stocked into the lake annually. A few Walleye, Largemouth Bass and Yellow Perch provide a minor fishery. Bluegills tend to be small but somewhat abundant. (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 .

Where to Go

Printable Map (PDF)

Explore the full Fishing Atlas

Stocking and Management

Stocking

9/20/22 - 2,112 Channel Catfish (9.1)
5/24/22 - 1,500 Northern Pike (2.7)
4/14/22 - 39,273 Northern Pike (Fry)
10/7/22 - 157 Largemouth Bass (6.7)
10/7/22 - 150 Smallmouth Bass (6)
10/7/22 - 889 Walleye (5.3)
11/03/2021 - 32 Northern Pike (13)
10/05/2021 - 3,507 Channel Catfish (9.4)
05/12/2021 - 1,750 Northern Pike (3)
04/05/2021 - 92,500 Northern Pike (Fry)
10/23/2020 - 903 Largemouth Bass (6.1)
09/25/2020 - 6,230 Black Crappie (1.9)
09/25/2020 - 52,150 Bluegill (1.1)
09/25/2020 - 23,850 Fathead Minnow (1.3)
09/25/2020 - 1,866 Smallmouth Bass (4.8)
09/16/2020 - 2,983 Channel Catfish (7.9)
05/20/2020 - 1,300 Northern Pike (2.2)
10/02/2019 - 3,544 Channel Catfish (9.3)
09/27/2019 - 57,038 Bluegill (1.26)
09/27/2019 - 760 Largemouth Bass (4.5)
10/19/2018 - 300 Bluegill (1.6)
10/19/2018 - 8,260 Largemouth Bass (5.28)
10/19/2018 - 500 Yellow Perch (4)
10/09/2018 - 5,300 Channel Catfish (8.3)
09/27/2018 - 43,910 Black Crappie (1.8)

Management

- No results found

Regulations and Who to Talk To

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: none

Contacts for this Location

Lucas Dever, Conservation Officer; 319-480-0397; Lucas.Dever@dnr.iowa.gov
Scott Gritters, Fisheries Biologist; 563-880-8781; Scott.Gritters@dnr.iowa.gov
Andrew Keil, Conservation Officer; 563-590-1945; Andrew.Keil@dnr.iowa.gov

Fishing Regulations

Bigmouth Buffalo

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Black Bullhead

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Black Crappie

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined black and white crappie, 25 fish
Possession Limit: unlimited; Mississippi River backwaters, combined black and white crappie - 50 fish
Length Limit: none
Other: No daily limit on private waters

Bluegill

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish; Mississippi River backwaters, combined bluegill and pumpkinseed - 25 fish
Possession Limit: unlimited; Mississippi River backwaters, combined bluegill and pumpkinseed - 50 fish
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: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers (Missouri, Big Sioux, and Des Moines) where intermittent or constant flow occur have a catfish combined daily bag of 15 fish. Associated chutes and backwaters of the Mississippi River have no daily bag or possession limit.

Common Carp

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.

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: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. A 14-inch length limit applies to Mississippi River backwaters, and a 12-inch length limit applies to Missouri River backwaters.

Pumpkinseed

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish; Mississippi River backwaters, combined bluegill and pumpkinseed - 25 fish
Possession Limit: unlimited; Mississippi River backwaters, combined bluegill and pumpkinseed - 50 fish
Length Limit: none
Other: No daily limit on private waters

Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - Middle Sabula Lake