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Red Rock Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Iowa's largest lake: Red Rock on the Des Moines River holds crappie, white bass, wipers and channel catfish.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
11,800 cfs
Air / High
78 / 78 F
Wind
SSE 13 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05488110, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

Red Rock Lake is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The release below the dam is running 11,800 cfs, falling. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 13 mph, falling pressure near 1019 hPa and a high of 78. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:48 AM-11:48 AM and 10:17 PM-12:17 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Largemouth bassExcellent

In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

White bassGood

The spring run happens in this band: tributaries, shoals and the upper ends of reservoirs as the water reaches about 55Β°F.

CrappieGood

Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Hybrid striped bassGood

In spring, windblown shorelines, riprap and dams during the shad spawn (May in Oklahoma); in fall, the pre-winter feed on the same kind of banks.

Tomorrow: Similar at 77 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Iowa requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $22.00 for residents. What a Iowa licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing white bass here? Check the size and bag limits with Iowa DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Iowa, read off the agency, are on the Iowa seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Des Moines River near Pella (below dam).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05488110.

12,56817,50522,44211,800 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low78 / 53 F
WindSSE 13-17 mph
Pressure1019.0 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset07:33 / 18:18
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)58 F USGS
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Red Rock Lake this week

Today is the pick of the week on Red Rock Lake, at 4 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
9:48 AM-11:48 AM and 10:17 PM-12:17 AM
Minor period
4:11 AM-5:11 AM
Sun
07:33 to 18:18
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 13 mph
Rain chance
1%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: the spring run up the tributaries, then summer surface schools

A silvery temperate bass of rivers and large reservoirs, also called sand bass, that schools in open water after shad and runs up tributaries to spawn in early spring. The spring run happens in this band: tributaries, shoals and the upper ends of reservoirs as the water reaches about 55Β°F.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Hybrid striped bass illustration

Hybrid striped bass

Best: the spring shad spawn and fall; summer at dawn and dusk

A hatchery cross of striped bass and white bass, also called wiper or palmetto bass, stocked by state agencies into reservoirs and rivers as a sport fish that also eats gizzard shad. Schools roam open water after shad. In spring, windblown shorelines, riprap and dams during the shad spawn (May in Oklahoma); in fall, the pre-winter feed on the same kind of banks.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

When to come: the Red Rock 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
White bass
Crappie
Largemouth bass
Hybrid striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 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 Red Rock Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Largemouth bass led the card at good. High of 78 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Largemouth bass led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

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

An Iowa fishing license is required, and statewide Iowa DNR rules govern the lake. Zebra mussels were documented in 2024: clean, drain and dry boats.

Access

Corps ramps at South Overlook, Whitebreast, Marina Cove and Howell Station (river access); DNR ramps at Elk Rock off Highway 14 and Hayes Drive; Marion County's Cordova ramp. Elk Rock State Park is nearby.

About this water

A Corps of Engineers flood-control reservoir on the Des Moines River, Marion County, Iowa, 45 miles southeast of Des Moines; USGS gauge 05488110 measures the river near Pella below the dam.

Fishing Red Rock Lake: the full guide

The biggest water in Iowa

The Corps calls Lake Red Rock Iowa's largest lake, with more than 13,000 acres of water 45 miles downriver of Des Moines; Iowa DNR lists 15,250 surface acres and a maximum depth of 44 feet. At maximum flood-control pool the reservoir would spread over 65,500 acres and 33 miles.

Crappie and white bass

Iowa DNR counts crappie among the most sought fish: surveys found black crappie to 14 inches and white crappie to 15, and the DNR suggests brush piles in 8 to 12 feet with minnows. White bass were plentiful at 4.5 to 8 inches with fewer to 16, taken by trolling lipless crankbaits, spoons or blade baits along windblown shorelines and points.

Catfish, bass and new habitat

Channel catfish occur at all sizes up to 30 inches, and DNR data put a good share of the largemouth between 15 and 19 inches. In fall 2025 about 800 MossBack habitat structures were placed through the lake under a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant to the Red Rock Lake Association, and the Corps posts a map of them.

Common questions

How big is Lake Red Rock?

More than 13,000 acres at normal level per the Corps (Iowa DNR lists 15,250), and up to 65,500 acres at maximum flood pool.

What are the main fish?

Iowa DNR names crappie, white bass, hybrid striped bass and channel catfish as the most sought species.

Where are the fish structures?

The Corps publishes a map of the MossBack sites and earlier habitat projects, with a QR code at its fee stations.

Is fishing good at Red Rock 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

Rathbun Lake37 miSaylorville Lake43 miLake MacBride79 miCoralville Lake79 miCedar River79 miClear Lake123 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 05488110 β€” Des Moines River near Pella (below dam)
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:15 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 41.3800, -92.9800 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.