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


About Swan Lake

Surface Area (acres): 120.00
Maximum Depth (feet): 11.9 ft. (2021 - 11.9 feet)
Motoring Restrictions: None - No wake speed
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Carroll
Description: Swan
Coordinates: 42.03903471, -94.84384930

Nearby Parks

- No results found

Amenities

Amenities at Swan Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Fishing Jetty
  • Accessible Pier
  • Boat Rental
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Trails
  • Accessible Facilities
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Concessions
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline

Fishing Report

- No recent location updates found

Species Reports
Black Bullhead - Fair: Catch 10- to 11-inch bullhead from shore along the jetties; use a piece of crawler fished on or near the bottom. . Last updated on 07/24/2026
Bluegill - Fair: Use a small jig under a bobber or a small piece of crawler under a bobber fished in the deeper water off the jetties. Most bluegill are 7-inches with a few reaching 8-inches. . Last updated on 07/24/2026

Fishing Summary

Swan Lake experienced a large fish kill in the summer of 2015 due to low levels of dissolved oxygen after a massive algae bloom. The fishery has rebounded since then and the largemouth bass population is very strong. Harvestable size bluegill and crappie can be caught, but expect to sort through a lot of smaller fish as well. Channel catfish are stocked on a regular basis. The bullhead population has been growing and there are a lot of smaller bullhead in the lake now. - 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

  • 10/1/24 - 501 Channel Catfish (8.0)
  • 9/20/22 - 500 Channel Catfish (9.1)
  • 09/21/2020 - 500 Channel Catfish (8.3)
  • 10/01/2018 - 502 Channel Catfish (8.2)
  • 10/4/16 - 1,402 Channel Catfish (9.1")
  • 10/18/16 - 1,108 Largemouth Bass (4")

Management

  • 2025 - Vegetation-Treatment: Control American Lotus for access.
  • 2025 - Fish Kills-Dissolved Oxygen: Ben Wallace and Matt Mork investigated a fish kill on Swan Lake. The kill appeared to be natural and caused by localized low dissolved oxygen levels brought on by environmental conditions.
  • 2025 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing and fall fyke netting as part of a general survey.
  • 2024 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2024 - Vegetation-Treatment: treatment called off, follow up treatment later this year
  • 2023 - Exotic Species-Vegetation: Brittle Naiad found at access point by watercraft inspector
  • 2023 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2022 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2021 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing, summer baited hoop netting, and fall fyke netting as part of a comprehensive survey.
  • 2021 - Morphology-Maximum Depth: 11.9 feet
  • 2021 - Morphology-Mean Depth: 4.6 feet
  • 2021 - Morphology-Lake Surface Area: 120 acres
  • 2021 - Morphology-Lake Volume: 546.5 acre-feet
  • 2020 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2019 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2018 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2017 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2017 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2016 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2015 - Fish Kills-Algae Bloom: Swan Lake (Carroll County) experienced a substantial fish kill on or about August 15th. The kill appeared to have been caused by low dissolved oxygen levels due to a massive blue green algae bloom. Thousands of dead bluegill, crappie, largemouth ba
  • 2015 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing, summer baited hoop netting, and fall fyke netting as part of a comprehensive survey.
  • 2014 - Watershed-Activities: The Carroll County Conservation Board completed construction of a four acre wetland in the watershed of Swan Lake in 2014. The Carroll CCB funded the project with local dollars and Lake Restoration dollars to match a WIRB grant.
  • 2014 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2013 - Drawdown-Artificial: Swan Lake was kept low for a second year in an effort to establish perennial emergent vegetation.
  • 2012 - Other-Other: The Black Hawk fish management staff worked with the Carroll CCB to obtain permits and construct panfish spawning habitat while the lake was drawn down. Engineering fabric was lain down and pea gravel was spread out over the fabric.
  • 2012 - Fish Kills-Dissolved Oxygen: Partial fish kill were investigated on Swan Lake (Carroll) during the summer months and were determined to be caused by low dissolved oxygen.
  • 2012 - Commercial Fishing-Other: A commercial fisherman was hired to net and remove grass carp during the draw down. A total of 40 were harvested using trammel nets.
  • 2012 - Drawdown-Artificial: Drew Swan Lake down with Diesel Powered Godwin pump for the purpose of re-establishing emergent vegetation, improving water quality, and improving panfish size structure. The goal was to lower the lake 4 feet, but the drought helped to take it an ad
  • 2011 - Water Sampling-Other: The Carroll County Conservation Board has completed two years of water quality monitoring to identify key areas in need of improvement in the watershed of Swan Lake
  • 2011 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing, summer baited hoop netting, and fall fyke netting as part of a comprehensive survey.
  • 2010 - Survey-Population: Conducted spring electrofishing as part of a general survey.
  • 2010 - Vegetation-Coverage: The Black Hawk Fish Management District participated in the statewide vegetation study by sampling vegetation monthly from June through August. Thirteen transects were sampled and vegetation was identified, measured, and catalogued.

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: None - No wake speed

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

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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