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


About Badger Lake

Surface Area (acres): 45.00
Maximum Depth (feet): 16.6 ft. (2009)
Motoring Restrictions: Electric Motors Only
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Webster
Description: Badger
Coordinates: 42.58662847, -94.19291701

Nearby Parks

- No results found

Amenities

Amenities at Badger Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Fishing Jetty
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Trails
  • Accessible Facilities
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Gravel Boat Ramp
  • Community Fishing Location

Fishing Report

Please contact the local fisheries management biologist for current information.

Fishing Summary

Find decent sized bluegills and crappies in Badger Lake. Fish for panfish in the upper arms earlier in the spring where the water warms faster. Largemouth bass fishing is decent and anglers can find lots of 10- to 14-inch bass with some larger fish mixed in. Northern pike are stocked on a regular basis. There is a strong population of white suckers in the lake that are a preferred forage fish for pike. Channel catfish are stocked on a regular basis into Badger Lake. - Last updated on 08/01/2019.

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

  • 9/29/23 - 501 Largemouth Bass (3.6)
  • 9/28/23 - 15,984 Bluegill (2.5)
  • 10/2/23 - 789 Channel Catfish (8.3)
  • 04/08/2021 - 20,198 Northern Pike (Fry)
  • 09/28/2020 - 810 Channel Catfish (7.6)
  • 05/13/2019 - 249 Northern Pike (1.22)
  • 04/17/2019 - 10,000 Northern Pike (Fry)
  • 10/08/2018 - 811 Channel Catfish (8.3)
  • 06/06/2018 - 249 Northern Pike (2.8)
  • 5/22/2017 - 244 Northern Pike (2.4")
  • 5/24/16 - 229 Northern Pike (2.7")
  • 10/10/16 - 811 Channel Catfish (9.3")
  • 05/18/2015 - 225 Northern Pike (2.9")

Management

  • 2025 - Vegetation-Treatment: Curly leaf control for boat access and water quality.
  • 2025 - Vegetation-Treatment: Control algae in public areas.
  • 2024 - Vegetation-Treatment: diquat treatment for curly leaf pondweed at zones 2 and 3
  • 2024 - Vegetation-Treatment: algae treatment with komeen and diquat
  • 2024 - Vegetation-Treatment: Algal treatment
  • 2022 - Fishery Renovation-Chemical-Rotenone: See uploaded documents for rotenone plan and record of application.

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: Electric Motors Only

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

  • 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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