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Saylorville Lake Fishing Report

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

Saylorville Lake: the Corps of Engineers' flood-control reservoir on the Des Moines River, 11 miles above Des Moines, with crappie, white bass, wipers and channel catfish.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
3,440 cfs
Air / High
77 / 77 F
Wind
SSE 13 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05481650, 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.

Saylorville Lake rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The nearest gauge is running 3,440 cfs, falling. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 13 mph, falling pressure near 1018 hPa and a high of 77. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:50 AM-11:50 AM and 10:20 PM-12:20 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Northern pikeExcellent

The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

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 55°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 75 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

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 →

Chasing walleye 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 Saylorville.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05481650.

4,5818,05511,5293,440 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 65 years of October 23

At 3,440 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 05481650 (Des Moines River near Saylorville) is at the 78th percentile for the date: above normal. In half of the 65 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 882 cfs; the highest was 17,100 cfs and the lowest 75 cfs.

p10 188median 882p90 5,488

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 05481650; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp77 F
High / Low77 / 54 F
WindSSE 13-19 mph
Pressure1017.9 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset07:36 / 18:21
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
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 Saylorville Lake this week

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

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

Today, Oct 23 — Good

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

Solunar majors
9:50 AM-11:50 AM and 10:20 PM-12:20 AM
Minor period
4:13 AM-5:13 AM
Sun
07:36 to 18:21
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 Saylorville Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

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 55°F.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: cool water, from ice-out through spring, in fall and under the ice

A long, duck-billed predator of weedy lakes, slow rivers and backwaters that ambushes fish from vegetation. Wisconsin DNR points out that, unlike most of the state's common game fish, pike do their best feeding in cool water. The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

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 Saylorville 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
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 Saylorville 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. Walleye led the card at good. High of 77 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Walleye led the card at good. High of 71 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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. Iowa DNR's lake page lists no lake-specific rules: walleye, sauger and saugeye 5 combined a day; black bass 3 a day, 15-inch minimum; northern pike 3; crappie 25 combined; bluegill 25; catfish 15 combined; white bass no limit (read 2026-10-06). See the Iowa Fishing Regulations for the full rules.

Access

Corps ramps at Lakeview, Sandpiper and Cherry Glen, the Saylorville Lake Marina launch, and Polk County's Lincoln Access. Corps day-use fees apply at boat ramps. Fishing jetty and accessible pier listed by Iowa DNR.

About this water

Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Des Moines River in Polk County, Iowa: about 5,950 acres at the 836-foot conservation pool (Corps), 4,970 acres in Iowa DNR's listing.

Fishing Saylorville Lake: the full guide

A Corps flood-control lake

The Corps of Engineers built Saylorville Dam on the Des Moines River about 11 miles upstream of Des Moines, and the lake became fully operational in 1977. At the permanent conservation pool of 836 feet above sea level the Corps puts the lake at about 5,950 acres, extending some 17 miles above the dam; Iowa DNR lists 4,970 surface acres and a maximum depth of 44 feet. The full flood-control pool, at 890 feet, is 54 miles long and covers 16,700 acres, so the level can rise many feet after heavy rain.

What the DNR finds in the nets

Iowa DNR's 2021 netting survey found black crappie of 6.5 to 11 inches, white crappie mostly 7.5 to 12.5 inches, and bluegill larger than expected at 6.5 to 8 inches. The DNR describes white bass (typically 8 to 12 inches) and hybrid striped bass as present in good numbers and among the most popular summer targets, with wipers over 25 inches possible. Channel catfish are consistently found in good numbers and size, from 8 to 30.5 inches in 2021, and the largemouth population is described as decent.

Habitat and invasive species

The DNR's management log records cedar trees, barrels and pallets placed with the Central Iowa Anglers and the Corps in 2011, and broken concrete from the old marina ramp sunk as fish habitat in 2010. Zebra mussels were found on boats pulled from the marina in 2024: clean, drain and dry the boat before moving to another water.

Ramps and outflow

The Corps lists boat launching at its Lakeview, Sandpiper and Cherry Glen ramps, the marina launch, and Lincoln Access, which Polk County manages; Lakeview and Cherry Glen also have high-water ramps. The Neal Smith Trail runs through the project. USGS gauge 05481650 on the Des Moines River near Saylorville, below the dam, reports the release; the Corps gives normal outflows of 200 to about 6,000 cfs.

Common questions

How much does the level change?

A lot. The conservation pool is 836 feet above sea level and the flood-control pool reaches 890 feet, 54 feet higher. The Corps recorded 889.29 feet in 1984, when water ran over the spillway for 16 days.

What does Saylorville hold?

Iowa DNR lists black and white crappie, bluegill, white bass, wipers, channel and flathead catfish, largemouth bass, walleye and northern pike, along with rough fish such as buffalo, carp and drum.

Are there zebra mussels?

Yes. Iowa DNR recorded adult zebra mussels on boats pulled out of the marina in 2024, and lists the species for the lake.

Is fishing good at Saylorville 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

Red Rock Lake43 miRathbun Lake72 miClear Lake98 miStorm Lake100 miCedar River105 miLake MacBride109 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 05481650 — Des Moines River near Saylorville
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:00 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 41.7200, -93.6800 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 6, 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 6, 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.