Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs

Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs DNR Homepage

About Upper Gar Lake

Surface Area (acres): 36.00
Maximum Depth (feet): 8.1 ft. (2015)
Motoring Restrictions: none
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Dickinson
Description: Upper Gar
Coordinates: 43.36780618, -95.12114781

Nearby Parks

Lower Gar State Recreation Area
Mini-Wakan State Park
Gull Point State Park
Gull Point State Park
Marble Beach State Recreation Area
Emerson Bay State Recreation Area
Elinor Bedell State Park
Pikes Point State Park
Templar State Recreation Area

Amenities

Amenities at Upper Gar Lake include:

Boat Access
Picnic Area
Playground
Restrooms
Good/Excellent Shorefishing
Hard Surface Boat Ramp

What to Fish For

Fishing Report

- No recent updates found

Popular Fish Species

Fishing Forecast

- No results found

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

- No results found

Management

2023 - Vegetation-Treatment: Bump to 5 ppb using Sonar (A.S.)
2022 - Vegetation-Treatment: Whole lake systemic treatment utilizing Sonar (A.S.) to control Eurasian watermilfoil and curly leaf pondweed. East Okoboji and rest of lower chain also treated at the same time.
2022 - Vegetation-Treatment: Treatment to remove Eurasian watermilfoil from access. Spot treatment with contact herbicides used.
2022 - Exotic Species-Vegetation: Eurasian watermilfoil found in Upper Gar near boat ramp by vegetation crew.
2015 - Water Sampling-Dissolved Oxygen: Winter D.O. readings were taken under the ice.
2014 - Water Sampling-Dissolved Oxygen: Winter D.O. readings were taken under the ice.
2012 - Exotic Species-Mussels: During September, management personnel discovered a single juvenile zebra mussel on a sampler.

Regulations and Who to Talk To

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: none

Contacts for this Location

Daniel Dirks, Conservation Officer; 712-260-1018; Dan.Dirks@dnr.iowa.gov
Mike Hawkins, Fisheries Biologist; 712-336-1840; Michael.Hawkins@dnr.iowa.gov
Blake Mills, Conservation Officer; 712-260-1017; Blake.Mills@dnr.iowa.gov

Fishing Regulations

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

Brown Bullhead

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

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

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:

Walleye

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: 3 fish
Possession Limit: 6 fish
Length Limit: all 19 to 25-inch walleyes must be immediately released alive
Other: No more than one walleye longer than 25 inches may be taken per day

White 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

Yellow Bass

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

Yellow Perch

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
Possession Limit: 50 fish
Length Limit: none
Other:

Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - Upper Gar Lake