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DNR News Releases

Archive by tag: lakeReturn

Fishing regulations to be relaxed at Lake Keomah

• 4/16/2024 12:48:00 PM
• View Count 74

OSKALOOSA - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will relax the fishing regulations at Lake Keomah starting May 1, to allow anglers to more freely harvest fish before the lake is completely drained as part of a lake restoration project.

Spirit Lake Hatchery filling with northern pike

• 4/9/2024 12:41:00 PM
• View Count 645

SPIRIT LAKE - Crews with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources placed fyke nets in the outlets of the sloughs that flow into Big Spirit Lake on April 1, to start collecting northern pike. Northern pike spawn in sloughs and shallow vegetated areas around the Iowa Great Lakes prior to ice leaving the lakes.

Walleye netting season starts for Iowa DNR fish hatcheries

• 4/9/2024 12:39:00 PM
• View Count 729

MORAVIA – The late night, annual walleye collection has begun at Clear Lake, Rathbun Reservoir, Storm Lake and the Iowa Great Lakes.

Lake Meyer has a bright future thanks to local watershed improvement efforts

• 3/22/2024 5:03:00 PM
• View Count 1613

CALMAR – Lake Meyer, a popular area for boating and fishing in Winneshiek County, has a cleaner and clearer future thanks to a community-led effort.

Shoreline stabilization project underway at Silver Lake to improve water quality

• 3/5/2024 12:09:00 PM
• View Count 2261

LAKE PARK, Iowa - Work is underway to stabilize the shoreline on the northwest section of Silver Lake, in Dickinson County.

Walleye season closes Feb. 15 on Iowa Great Lakes

• 2/6/2024 11:59:00 AM
• View Count 3110

SPIRIT LAKE – The walleye fishing season on Spirit, East and West Okoboji lakes is open through Feb. 14. It will close after that date and reopens on May 4. These are the only Iowa lakes that have a closed season for walleye.

DNR postponing trout stockings in Mason City and Sioux City

• 1/9/2024 3:33:00 PM
• View Count 2978

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is postponing the trout stockings scheduled for this Saturday, Jan. 13 at Blue Pit, Mason City, and Bacon Creek Lake, Sioux City, due to unsafe ice conditions.

DNR to host an open house on the Towhead Lake Wildlife Area

• 12/14/2023 2:07:00 PM
• View Count 4692

Fonda, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is holding an open house on Jan. 4, 2024, from 4 - 7 p.m. to discuss the habitat management, recreation use, wildlife populations and other topics of interest for the Towhead Lake Wildlife Area.

Lake Restoration Program draft 2023 report and 2024 plan available for public comment

• 12/5/2023 11:47:00 AM
• View Count 3600

DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Lake Restoration Program is accepting comments on the newly released draft 2023 Lake Restoration Report and 2024 Plan, beginning Dec. 11.

Iowa DNR to host open house on Lake Keomah improvement plans

• 10/17/2023 11:54:00 AM
• View Count 4746

OSKALOOSA -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting an open house to discuss renovation and improvement plans for Lake Keomah State Park, from 5:30 – 8 p.m. on Nov. 1, at the Lake Keomah Lodge. The public is invited to attend.

Fall community trout stocking starts October 21

• 10/17/2023 11:44:00 AM
• View Count 8898

Eighteen lakes across Iowa are gearing up to receive trout this fall. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will release between 1,000 to 2,000 rainbow trout at each location as part of its cool weather trout program that brings trout to areas that cannot support them during the summer months.

Fishing regulations to be relaxed at Casey Lake in Tama County

• 10/3/2023 12:56:00 PM
• View Count 4499

TAMA COUNTY - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will relax the fishing regulations at Casey Lake in Hickory Hills Park starting October 4 to allow anglers to more freely harvest fish before the lake is renovated.

Public meeting to discuss proposed bass regulation changes at Swan Lake in Carroll County

• 10/3/2023 12:50:00 PM
• View Count 3616

CARROLL - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host a public meeting at 5 p.m., Oct. 5, in the lower level of the Swan Lake Conservation Education Center, 22676 Swan Lake Trail Drive, to discuss proposed largemouth bass regulation changes at Swan Lake.

Harmon Lake Wildlife Area ready for a busy fall

• 10/3/2023 12:38:00 PM
• View Count 3689

Standing at the gravel boat ramp on the middle pool of Harmon Lake, among a dense stand of bur-reed full of seeds, four noisy trumpeter swans appeared over the trees then banked west at the sight of unwelcomed visitors.

Cedar Valley Lakes Trail Reopening Ribbon Cutting Event

• 9/19/2023 1:47:00 PM
• View Count 2963

WATERLOO - On Wednesday, Sept. 20, the Cedar Valley Trails Partnership and the Iowa DNR will host a celebration and ribbon cutting for the newly paved section of the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail from Krieg's Crossing to the George Wyth State Park Lodge

Fishing regulations to be relaxed at Cherry Lake in Tama County

• 9/14/2023 4:03:00 PM
• View Count 4751

TAMA - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will relax the fishing regulations at Cherry Lake on the south side of Tama starting September 15 to allow anglers to more freely harvest fish.

Experience the rugged beauty of the Loess Hills at Green Hollow and Blackburn areas

• 9/12/2023 1:30:00 PM
• View Count 3192

Tucked in to the southern end of the Loess Hills, within eyeshot of I-29 and nearly adjacent to Forney Lake, is the Green Hollow and Blackburn wildlife areas and state park complex in northwest Fremont County.

Iowa DNR to host open house on Clear Lake State Park improvement plans

• 9/5/2023 1:11:00 PM
• View Count 3090

CLEAR LAKE -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting an open house to discuss renovation and improvement plans for Clear Lake State Park, at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 11, at Clear Lake State Park Lodge. The public is invited to attend.

Water level to drop at Three Mile Lake ahead of restoration

• 8/29/2023 1:59:00 PM
• View Count 2805

CRESTON – Lake water levels at Three Mile Lake, in Union County, will be lowered this week as a part of a lake restoration project.

Help prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants around West Okoboji Lake

• 8/16/2023 7:23:00 AM
• View Count 2508

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking for help to prevent the spread of Eurasian watermilfoil and brittle naiad around West Okoboji Lake.

Invasive aquatic plants confirmed at West Okoboji Lake

• 8/9/2023 7:28:00 AM
• View Count 3349

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently discovered Eurasian watermilfoil growing throughout the canals near Miller’s Bay and The Harbor canals on West Okoboji Lake in Dickinson County. Brittle naiad was also found in the Triboji lagoon. No Eurasian watermilfoil or brittle naiad was found in the main lake of West Okoboji or the other lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes chain.

Lake Keomah State Park restoration being planned

• 7/25/2023 11:48:00 AM
• View Count 2773

OSKALOOSA – Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other project partners are planning a lake restoration project at Lake Keomah State Park to improve water quality and recreational opportunities.

Diverse and unique, Dugout Creek-Yager Slough wildlife area packs a lot into 1,600 acres

• 7/25/2023 11:40:00 AM
• View Count 2651

Dugout Creek-Yager Slough wildlife areas south of Lake Park, in western Dickinson County, is home to an array of marshes plus two unique and rare habitat types in the state - one of the largest and highest quality wetland fen complexes in Iowa and high-quality remnant prairie.

Teachers recognized for outstanding fishing programs

• 7/18/2023 11:47:00 AM
• View Count 2792

Jason Ohrt, South Winneshiek Schools, and Shane Blake, Davis County Schools, are recipients of the 2023 Brass Bluegill award from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fish Iowa! program.

Swan Lake Road closed for road improvement project

• 7/18/2023 11:45:00 AM
• View Count 2549

SWISHER - A section of Swan Lake Road on the Hawkeye Wildlife Area west of Greencastle Road, will be closed for several weeks while a bridge is being replaced.

Lake Ahquabi State Park campground to open July 20

• 7/18/2023 11:35:00 AM
• View Count 3995

INDIANOLA – The Iowa DNR is re-opening the newly renovated Lake Ahquabi State Park campground on July 20. Campers will enjoy upgraded camping amenities, along with the ability to make same-day reservations at all campsites.

Injuries reported in boat explosion at Lake Rathbun on Sunday

• 7/3/2023 2:17:00 PM
• View Count 4447

MORAVIA - A mechanical malfunction likely led to a boat motor explosion injuring five at Lake Rathbun on Sunday, July 2, 2023. 

DNR and Black Hawk County Conservation to host open house to discuss lake restoration plans for Casey Lake, located in Hickory Hills Park

• 6/27/2023 4:44:00 PM
• View Count 2673

La Porte City – Black Hawk County Conservation (BHCC), Shive-Hattery, Inc., and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host a public meeting at 6 p.m., July 10, at the Lakeview lodge at Hickory Hills Park located at 3338 Hickory Hills Road, near La Porte City, to discuss ongoing lake restoration efforts at the park, slated for the fall of 2023 through early spring of 2025.

Water level to drop at Meadow Lake

• 6/27/2023 4:42:00 PM
• View Count 2837

GREENFIELD – The water level of Meadow Lake near Greenfield in Adair County will be lowered 3 feet starting the week of June 26, to help improve the size of bluegills in the lake. The water will be released slowly over the next two weeks to avoid any downstream impacts.

Major restoration effort to improve Black Hawk Lake nearing completion

• 6/20/2023 2:38:00 PM
• View Count 2893

LAKE VIEW – A second and final season of dredging on Black Hawk Lake, located in Sac County, is scheduled to end the week of June 18th. An additional two to three weeks of site clean-up and contractor demobilization will follow the dredging work.

Work at Towhead Lake supports grassland species, upland gamebirds

• 6/20/2023 2:27:00 PM
• View Count 2674

Towhead Lake was once a natural shallow lake, with a network of connected wetlands, considered sovereign land by the state highway commission when it visited the area in the 1910s.

Aggressive treatment planned for Eurasian watermilfoil found in Lost Grove Lake

• 6/13/2023 1:16:00 PM
• View Count 3180

DAVENPORT - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will start treating Lost Grove Lake at the end of June with the approved aquatic herbicide Sonar A.S. to eliminate Eurasian watermilfoil.

Collision on Black Hawk Lake Sunday sends two teens to the hospital

• 6/13/2023 1:11:00 PM
• View Count 3262

A collision between a personal watercraft (PWC) and a pontoon Sunday afternoon at Black Hawk Lake sent two Harlan teenagers to the hospital.

Public meeting to discuss in-lake improvements at Three-Mile Lake

• 6/6/2023 2:21:00 PM
• View Count 2507

AFTON – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host a public meeting from 5:30-7 p.m., June 15, at Three-Mile Lake Lodge, 1577 Creamery Road, to discuss in-lake improvements planned for Three-Mile Lake starting this fall.

Drought conditions continue to impact water levels at Blue Lake in Lewis and Clark State Park

• 6/6/2023 2:19:00 PM
• View Count 2655

ONAWA – Blue Lake, located within Lewis and Clark State Park, continues to experience abnormally low water levels that may impact recreation opportunities. Launching boats is not recommended with the current low water levels.

Heavy rains delay opening at Lake Ahquabi State Park

• 6/6/2023 2:17:00 PM
• View Count 2604

INDIANOLA – Heavy rains last week caused washouts and erosion at Lake Ahquabi State Park, delaying reopening of the park until mid-July.

21-year-old man drowned Saturday on West Okoboji Lake

• 5/23/2023 1:23:00 PM
• View Count 6137

The Iowa Department to Natural Resources (DNR) is investigating a drowning Saturday afternoon on West Okoboji Lake, after Alexander Glover, 21, of Cedar Rapids, jumped off a pontoon and into the water in Miller's Bay.

DNR crews achieve walleye collection goals

• 4/25/2023 11:46:00 AM
• View Count 4056

A dramatic warming trend, along with the correct photoperiod, allowed DNR staff to capture more than 3,100 adult female walleyes in a short amount of time at Clear, Rathbun, and Storm lakes.

Walleye season opens May 6 on Iowa’s Great Lakes

• 4/18/2023 4:20:00 PM
• View Count 3351

The 147th walleye fishing season officially opens May 6 at Spirit Lake, East and West Okoboji lakes.

Spirit Lake Hatchery filling with northern pike

• 4/11/2023 2:26:00 PM
• View Count 3319

SPIRIT LAKE - Crews with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources placed fyke nets in the outlets of the sloughs that flow into Big Spirit Lake on April 9 to start collecting northern pike.

Walleye netting season starts for Iowa DNR fish hatcheries

• 4/11/2023 2:23:00 PM
• View Count 3050

MORAVIA – The late night, annual walleye collection has begun at Clear Lake, Rathbun Reservoir, and Storm Lake with collection efforts soon to follow at the Iowa Great Lakes.  

Major restoration effort to improve Black Hawk Lake water quality

• 4/5/2023 9:13:00 AM
• View Count 3640

DES MOINES – A second and final season of dredging on Black Hawk Lake, located in Sac County, will start this week and is scheduled to end in early June. An additional two to three weeks of site clean-up and contractor demobilization will follow the dredging work.

Renovations at Geode State Park to close beach area in 2023

• 4/4/2023 11:52:00 AM
• View Count 3579

GEODE, Iowa – The beach and surrounding facilities at Geode State Park will be closed for the 2023 recreational season beginning in late April due to a major road and parking lot construction project.

Martens Lake project delayed, construction expected for fall

• 3/21/2023 11:40:00 AM
• View Count 2699

The project planned for Martens Lake in Sweet Marsh Wildlife Area has been delayed due to site conditions not progressing as expected.

Iowa DNR to begin annual spring burning, Clear Lake Wildlife Unit

• 3/20/2023 3:52:00 PM
• View Count 1937

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be conducting prescribed burns this spring on wildlife management areas managed by the Iowa DNR’s Clear Lake Wildlife Unit in Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Franklin, Winnebago, Worth and Wright counties.

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