Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - Viking Lake


About Viking Lake

Surface Area (acres): 136.00
Maximum Depth (feet): 42.3 ft. (2018)
Motoring Restrictions: No Size Limit at No Wake
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Montgomery
Description: Viking
Coordinates: 40.97590217, -95.03243169

Amenities

Amenities at Viking Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Fishing Jetty
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Trails
  • Accessible Facilities
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline
  • Fish Cleaning Station

Fishing Report

Please contact the local fisheries management biologist for current information.

Fishing Summary

Largemouth bass fishing is one of the best in the area though size structure was down in the 2025 sample, with 15% of the bass sampled in 2025 over 15 inches. 20+ inch fish are found in the lake. The bluegill population has struggled for years, however, 2025 samples shown that 6% of the fish sampled were over eight inches. The crappie population consists of 8.5- to 10.5-inch black and white crappies. Expect good crappie fishing during the spring and summer of 2025. - Last updated on 03/13/2026.

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

  • 7/11/24 - 5,598 Walleye (2.0)
  • 10/3/23 - 1,900 Channel Catfish (8.3)
  • 5/5/22 - 90,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 09/20/2021 - 1,952 Channel Catfish (9.2)
  • 09/18/2019 - 1,900 Channel Catfish (8.8)
  • 05/03/2019 - 200,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 05/07/2018 - 272,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 9/11/2017 - 1,902 Channel Catfish (7.7")
  • 4/26/2017 - 177,950 Walleye (fry)

Management

  • 2025 - Vegetation-Treatment: Control of brittle naiad near boat ramp and access points.
  • 2025 - Vegetation-Treatment: Access opening for anglers.
  • 2025 - Vegetation-Treatment: Open access for boats and anglers.
  • 2024 - Vegetation-Treatment: POCR3 treatment
  • 2024 - Vegetation-Treatment: NAMI treatment around ramps
  • 2024 - Survey-Population: General electrofishing survey.
  • 2024 - Survey-Population: Fall fyke net survey.
  • 2023 - Vegetation-Treatment: POCR3 treatment with Reward and Cide Kick II
  • 2023 - Vegetation-Treatment: NAMI treatment with Reward and Cide kick II
  • 2020 - Dam-Maintenance: Sluice gate was repaired.
  • 2020 - Vegetation-Treatment: Brittle naiad control with spot treatments around high use areas.
  • 2020 - Exotic Species-Vegetation: Brittle Naiad reported by Bryan Hayes
  • 2020 - Exotic Species-Vegetation: Brittle Naiad reported by Bryan Hayes
  • 2020 - Exotic Species-Vegetation: Brittle Naiad reported by Bryan Hayes
  • 2020 - Structures-Trees Cedar: Cedar trees were added for fish habitat
  • 2020 - Structures-Trees Cedar: Cedar trees were added for fish habitat
  • 2020 - Structures-Trees Cedar: Cedar trees were added for fish habitat
  • 2020 - Structures-Trees Cedar: Cedar trees were added for fish habitat
  • 2020 - Structures-Trees Cedar: Cedar trees were added for fish habitat
  • 2020 - Structures-Trees Cedar: Cedar trees were added for fish habitat
  • 2020 - Structures-Gravel: Pea-gravel was added to provide spawning structure
  • 2020 - Structures-Gravel: Pea-gravel was added to provide spawning structure
  • 2020 - Structures-Gravel: Pea-gravel was added to provide spawning structure
  • 2020 - Structures-Gravel: Pea-gravel was added to provide spawning structure
  • 2019 - Stocking-Channel Catfish: 8" channel catfish stocked.
  • 2019 - Drawdown-Artificial: Mid-summer drawdown to restructure fish population. Gate closing delayed to 01/27/2020 by mechanical issues.
  • 2017 - Vegetation-Treatment: Treated 26.7 acres with 85 gallons of AquaStrike to control curly leaf.
  • 2017 - Stocking-Channel Catfish: Channel Catfish 8" stocked.
  • 2017 - Stocking-Walleye: Walleye fry stocked under an exemption to the statewide policy.
  • 2016 - Vegetation-Treatment: Spot treatment in the pontoon, beach, and concession areas.
  • 2015 - Vegetation-Treatment: Treated 1 acre with 2 gallons of diquat in the pontoon area to control curly leaf.
  • 2015 - Vegetation-Treatment: Treated 2.1 acres with 2.5 gallons of diquat to control curly leaf around the concession and beach area.
  • 2015 - Stocking-Channel Catfish: Channel catfish 8" were stocked
  • 2014 - Vegetation-Treatment: Treated 2.8 acres with 5 gallons of diquat in the pontoon and concession area to control aquatic vegetation.
  • 2013 - Vegetation-Treatment: Spot treated 2 acres with Reward to control curly leaf pondweed at concession and pontoon areas.
  • 2013 - Stocking-Channel Catfish: Channel catfish 8.4" were stocked.
  • 2012 - Vegetation-Treatment: Spot treatment to 2 acres around pontoon, concession, and beach.

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: No Size Limit at No Wake

Contacts for this Location

Fishing Regulations

The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit. Familiarize yourself with the complete Fishing Regulations here: Iowa DNR Fishing Regulations and Laws.

Aquatic Invasive Species

  • Brittle Naiad
  • Curlyleaf Pondweed

To learn more about AIS, visit the Iowa DNR's Aquatic Invasive Species page for more information and resources.

Fish Surveys

Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.