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Clear Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

North Iowa’s classic: Clear Lake holds walleye, muskie and yellow bass in a town built around fishing.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
89 / 90 F
Wind
SSE 7 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Clear Lake lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 7 mph, falling pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 90. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassGood

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieFair

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 87 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp89 F
High / Low90 / 74 F
WindSSE 7-8 mph
Pressure1009.6 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain6% cloud, 10%
Sunrise / Sunset06:41 / 19:43
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 90/74 F, wind 10 mph, rain 10%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Clear Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Clear Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Clear Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 86 F, wind to 18 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 86 F, wind to 12 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 87 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Iowa requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Iowa license. Walleye, muskie and panfish limits per current Iowa DNR regulations.

Access

Public ramps and shoreline access around the lake; rentals and services in the town of Clear Lake.

About this water

A 3,600-acre glacial lake in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, anchoring a resort town in the north of the state.

Fishing Clear Lake: the full guide

A prairie glacial lake

Clear Lake covers 3,600 acres in north-central Iowa, a shallow glacial lake that has anchored a resort town for over a century. It is one of Iowa’s best-known fisheries: walleye lead, joined by muskellunge, yellow bass in remarkable numbers, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and channel catfish. State management and habitat work have kept it productive despite heavy use.

Walleye and muskie

Walleye hold the rock reefs, points and the deeper flats: jigs and live-bait rigs in spring, trolled crankbaits and harnesses through summer, and a strong fall bite. Muskellunge were stocked and now support a genuine trophy fishery, worked along the weed edges and points with large baits, best in fall.

Yellow bass and panfish

Yellow bass are Clear Lake’s signature oddity: abundant, aggressive and excellent eating, they school over the flats and are caught in numbers on small jigs, particularly through the ice. Crappie and bluegill fill the weed edges and docks. The winter ice fishery is a north Iowa institution, drawing crowds for yellow bass, walleye and panfish.

Clear Lake logistics

Public ramps and extensive shoreline access serve the lake, with the town of Clear Lake providing bait shops, rentals and lodging. Interstate 35 runs alongside, making it easy to reach from Des Moines or Minneapolis. Summer weekends bring heavy recreational traffic: dawn, dusk and the ice season belong to anglers.

Common questions

What are yellow bass?

A small, abundant relative of white bass: aggressive, excellent eating and a Clear Lake specialty, especially through the ice.

Is the muskie fishery real?

Yes: stocked and managed, producing genuine trophies for anglers working the weed edges in fall.

When is ice fishing?

January through March: a north Iowa institution drawing crowds for yellow bass, walleye and panfish.

Is fishing good at Clear Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Root River85 miSpirit Lake89 miEast Okoboji Lake89 miLake Okoboji90 miWhitewater River94 miStorm Lake97 mi
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