Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - North Twin Lake


About North Twin Lake

Surface Area (acres): 453.00
Maximum Depth (feet): 11.7 ft. (2019)
Motoring Restrictions: none
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Calhoun
Description: North Twin
Coordinates: 42.48452694, -94.62971419

Nearby Parks

Twin Lakes State Park

Amenities

Amenities at North Twin Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Trails
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp

Fishing Forecast

North twin has historically been dominated by rough fish, including bigmouth buffalo and common carp. 140,000 pounds of buffalo were removed in the spring of 2019 and the water clarity had improved some. If the water clarity improvement is maintained anglers can expect to see better bluegill, crappie, and bass fishing in the coming years. North Twin has a decent walleye population. The densities are not as high relative to other natural lakes in the region, but the fish are large and many of the fish range from 22 to 27 inches. The channel catfish population is strong and there are many fish from 2 to 5 pounds in the lake. Hybrid striped bass, northern pike, and largemouth bass were stocked following the buffalo removal, but it will take several years for these fish to recruit to the creel. Walleye and catfish are stocked on a regular basis. The yellow bass numbers have declined substantially, but their size has improved slightly.(2020)

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

  • September 2022 - 3,873 Largemouth Bass (4)
  • May 2022 - 388 Muskellunge (12.8)
  • 9/19/22 - 2,265 Channel Catfish (9.1)
  • 6/16/22 - 4,838 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.3)
  • 5/5/22 - 1,402,500 Walleye (Fry)
  • 11/15/22 - 707 Muskellunge (11.8)
  • 11/02/2021 - 2,235 Walleye (9)
  • 10/05/2021 - 1,798 Largemouth Bass (3.8)
  • 06/29/2021 - 9,581 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.7)
  • 05/03/2021 - 1,428,698 Walleye (Fry)
  • 04/08/2021 - 153,188 Northern Pike (Fry)
  • October 2020 - 2,445 Largemouth Bass (5.3)
  • 10/01/2020 - 4,534 Walleye (6.5)
  • 09/21/2020 - 2,270 Channel Catfish (8.3)
  • 04/13/2020 - 476,984 Northern Pike (Fry)
  • 10/25/2019 - 4,223 Largemouth Bass (4.3)
  • 06/25/2019 - 4,550 Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) (1.3)
  • 05/13/2019 - 2,361 Northern Pike (1.22)
  • 05/06/2019 - 1,400,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/19/2018 - 3,458 Walleye (5.1)
  • 10/01/2018 - 2,268 Channel Catfish (8.2)
  • 07/11/2018 - 4,563 Walleye (2.8)
  • 05/14/2018 - 1,366,295 Walleye (Fry)
  • 5/2/2017 - 1,400,000 Walleye (fry)
  • 11/6/2017 - 1,330 Walleye (9.3")
  • 11/6/2017 - 3,204 Walleye (9.3")
  • 4/29/16 - 1,400,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 10/5/16 - 4,542 Walleye (4.5")
  • 10/14/2015 - 4,555 Walleye (6")
  • 06/30/2015 - 11,071 Walleye (2.4")

Management

  • 2009 - Morphology-Lake SA-Basin SA Ratio: Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program.
  • 2009 - Morphology-Lake Surface Area: Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program.
  • 2009 - Morphology-Lake Volume: Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program.
  • 2009 - Morphology-Maximum Depth: Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program.
  • 2009 - Morphology-Mean Basin Slope: Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program. STD 1.9
  • 2009 - Morphology-Mean Depth: Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program.
  • 2009 - Morphology-Shoreline Development: Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program.
  • 2009 - Morphology-Shoreline Length: Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program.
  • 2009 - Morphology-Volume Development: Data collected as part of the statewide lake mapping program.

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: none

Contacts for this Location

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
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • 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: Except for border lakes
  • 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.
  • Freshwater Drum
    • 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.
  • Muskellunge
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined: muskellunge and tiger muskellunge, 1 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined: muskellunge and tiger muskellunge, 1 fish
    • Length Limit: 40-inch minimum
    • Other: except for West Okoboji, East Okoboji, and Spirit Lakes (Dickinson County)
  • Walleye
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Yellow Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:

Aquatic Invasive Species

  • Curlyleaf Pondweed

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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