Crawford Creek Impoundment

General Information

County: Ida
Location: 3 1/2 miles south of Battle Creek
Acres: 62.00
Maximum Depth: 27.8 ft. (2014)
Motoring Restrictions: No wake

Nearby Parks

Amenities

Amenities at Crawford Creek Impoundment include:
  • Boat Access
  • Accessible Pier
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline
Water temperatures are in the high 60's to low 70's in most area lakes. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Water levels are at crest and water clarity is around 2 feet.
Bluegill - Fair: Recent fishery surveys show a good population and size structure of bluegill with many running 8.5 to 9.5 inches. Try drifiting/slow trolling or target some of the submerged structure in the lake.
Download Printable Lake Map

You can zoom in on the map for bathymetric information for some lakes

  • 9/20/22 - 1,116 Channel Catfish (9.1)
  • 09/21/2020 - 1,122 Channel Catfish (8.3)
  • 09/26/2018 - 1,118 Channel Catfish (8.9)
  • 10/11/16 - 1,117 Channel Catfish (9.3")
  • 09/25/2014 - 1,118 Channel Catfish (8")
  • Brittle Naiad
The Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.

  • Black Bullhead
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Black Crappie
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black and white crappie, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Bluegill
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Channel Catfish
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 8 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 30 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Largemouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
    • Length Limit: 15-inch minimum
    • Other:
  • Yellow Perch
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
Crawford Creek is home to good sized bluegill (>8-inch), black crappie (>10-inch), and the occasional yellow perch (>8-inch). Look for spawning panfish in the spring east of the swimming beach on sandy substrate along the cattails. Target panfish around habitat structure in deeper water later in the year and during the ice fishing season. Drift fish for panfish in late summer. The largemouth bass population is strong with a lot of opportunities to catch 14- to 16-inch bass. There are good opportunities to catch trophy sized bass. Channel catfish are stocked on a regular basis.(2020)
Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.

Contacts

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed. Some limitations may apply for young children and pregnant women. Here’s a Fish Consumption Fact Sheet from the Iowa DNR and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health for more information.