Crystal Lake
General Information
County: Hancock
Location: north edge of Crystal Lake
Acres: 264.00
Maximum Depth: 18.6 ft. (2021 - 18.6 feet)
Motoring Restrictions: none
Nearby Parks
Amenities
Amenities at Crystal Lake include:
- Boat Access
- Fishing Jetty
- Picnic Area
- Beach
- Trails
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Camping
- Hard Surface Boat Ramp
- Accessible Shoreline
- Fish Cleaning Station
| For additional angling information in northcentral Iowa, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife Office at 641-357-3517. |
| Black Bullhead - Good: Fish wind blown shorelines at dark with night crawlers. |
| Black Crappie - Fair: Crappie will soon be moving shallow as the water warms. Small jigs and live bait are good baits for spring crappie. |
- 9/15/22 - 2,602 Channel Catfish (8.6)
- 6/3/22 - 1,446 Northern Pike (1.8)
- 5/9/22 - 606,475 Walleye (Fry)
- 4/22/22 - 96,655 Northern Pike (Fry)
- 10/11/2021 - 3,565 Walleye (4.7)
- 10/06/2021 - 60,000 Bluegill (2)
- 10/05/2021 - 1,337 Largemouth Bass (3.8)
- 04/08/2021 - 63,331 Northern Pike (Fry)
- 09/15/2020 - 1,658 Channel Catfish (8)
- 07/16/2020 - 10,000 Walleye (1.8)
- 05/13/2019 - 1,436 Northern Pike (1.22)
- 09/17/2018 - 1,580 Channel Catfish (8.4)
- 07/05/2018 - 2,645 Walleye (2.59)
- 06/04/2018 - 1,330 Northern Pike (2.7)
- 5/23/2017 - 1,330 Northern Pike (2.4")
- spring 2016 - 4,410 Northern Pike (2.1")
- fall 2016 - 1,580 Channel Catfish (9.3")
- 7/22/16 - 3,519 Walleye (3.2")
- 7/21/16 - 3,519 Walleye (3.2")
- 10/5/16 - 2,731 Walleye (4.5")
- 10/18/16 - 2,702 Largemouth Bass (4")
- 11/03/2015 - 2,601 Walleye (8")
- 10/22/2015 - 300 Largemouth Bass (11")
- 10/13/2015 - 4,026 Walleye (6")
- 10/01/2015 - 130,000 Bluegill (1.2")
- 10/01/2015 - 2,304 Channel Catfish (8")
- 05/18/2015 - 1,320 Northern Pike (2.9")
- 09/19/2014 - 822 Northern Pike (10")
- 09/18/2014 - 1,645 Channel Catfish (8")
- 07/31/2014 - 5,455 Walleye (2-3")
- 06/03/2014 - 1,398 Northern Pike (2-3")
- Curlyleaf Pondweed
- Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Zebra Mussel
The
Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.
- 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
- 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:
- Northern Pike
- Season: Continuous, except for boundary lakes
- Daily Bag Limit: 3 fish
- Possession Limit: 6 fish
- Length Limit: none
- Other: Except for border lakes
- 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:
Crappie population is excellent with decent sized fish up to 11 inches. Walleye population has a couple age classes with the largest sized fish around 14-15 inches. Black Bullhead population is good with 9-10 inch fish available. Largemouth Bass population has improved since the 2021 summer kill.(2024)
Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.
Contacts
Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases
The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed. Some limitations may apply for young children and pregnant women. Here’s a Fish Consumption Fact Sheet from the Iowa DNR and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health for more information. Here is a list of current fish consumption advisories for Iowa lakes and rivers.