Welcome to the Iowa Lakes Database — an independent guide to the lakes of the Hawkeye State. Iowa’s open water splits cleanly in two. Up in the northwest corner sit the Iowa Great Lakes — Spirit Lake, West and East Okoboji — deep, blue, glacier-made lakes that have drawn vacationers for more than a century, joined by Clear Lake to the east. Across the rest of the state, big U.S. Army Corps reservoirs like Saylorville, Red Rock and Rathbun give central and southern Iowa hundreds of miles of shoreline. We’re writing a careful visitor guide to every lake worth a weekend.
Whether you’re chasing walleye on a natural northern lake, crappie in a flooded reservoir timber, or a quiet bluegill evening on a county lake, start here.
How to use this guide
Iowa’s lakes sort into two groups. The Largest Lakes of Iowa are the major reservoirs and the natural Great Lakes of the northwest — the big water with marinas, beaches and full-service parks. The Small Lakes of Iowa covers the state-park lakes, the county lakes, and the smaller fishing waters spread across all 99 counties. Within each, lakes are grouped by region so you can find water near home.
Largest Lakes of Iowa
The natural Iowa Great Lakes lead the list: Spirit Lake, the largest natural lake in the state, and West Okoboji, one of only a handful of true blue-water glacial lakes in the world, rimmed by Arnolds Park and a century of lake-town history. The man-made giants follow — Saylorville and Red Rock on the Des Moines River, Rathbun in the south, and Coralville near Iowa City — each a reservoir of thousands of acres. Browse them all on the Largest Lakes of Iowa page.
Small Lakes of Iowa
Iowa’s small lakes are the backbone of its fishing. The DNR manages dozens of state-park and county lakes — from Clear Lake’s famous fishery to restored natural lakes and timber-lined reservoirs — most with public ramps, jetties and campgrounds, and many recently renovated for better water and bigger fish. See them all on the Small Lakes of Iowa page.
The Iowa Lakes Database is growing. Every guide is researched and written for people first — real fishing intel, honest access notes, and the stories behind each lake. Browse by Largest Lakes or Small Lakes, pick a region, and go find some water.