Crystal Lake
General Information
County: Hancock
Location: north edge of Crystal Lake
Acres: 264.00
Maximum Depth: 18.6 ft. (2021 - 18.6 feet)
Motoring Restrictions: none
Nearby Parks
Amenities
Amenities at Crystal Lake include:
- Boat Access
- Fishing Jetty
- Picnic Area
- Beach
- Trails
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Camping
- Hard Surface Boat Ramp
- Accessible Shoreline
- Fish Cleaning Station
- 10/11/2021 - 3,565 Walleye (4.7)
- 10/06/2021 - 60,000 Bluegill (2)
- 10/05/2021 - 1,337 Largemouth Bass (3.8)
- 04/08/2021 - 63,331 Northern Pike (Fry)
- 09/15/2020 - 1,658 Channel Catfish (8)
- 07/16/2020 - 10,000 Walleye (1.8)
- 05/13/2019 - 1,436 Northern Pike (1.22)
- 09/17/2018 - 1,580 Channel Catfish (8.4)
- 07/05/2018 - 2,645 Walleye (2.59)
- 06/04/2018 - 1,330 Northern Pike (2.7)
- 5/23/2017 - 1,330 Northern Pike (2.4")
- spring 2016 - 4,410 Northern Pike (2.1")
- fall 2016 - 1,580 Channel Catfish (9.3")
- 7/22/16 - 3,519 Walleye (3.2")
- 7/21/16 - 3,519 Walleye (3.2")
- 10/5/16 - 2,731 Walleye (4.5")
- 10/18/16 - 2,702 Largemouth Bass (4")
- 11/03/2015 - 2,601 Walleye (8")
- 10/22/2015 - 300 Largemouth Bass (11")
- 10/13/2015 - 4,026 Walleye (6")
- 10/01/2015 - 130,000 Bluegill (1.2")
- 10/01/2015 - 2,304 Channel Catfish (8")
- 05/18/2015 - 1,320 Northern Pike (2.9")
- 09/19/2014 - 822 Northern Pike (10")
- 09/18/2014 - 1,645 Channel Catfish (8")
- 07/31/2014 - 5,455 Walleye (2-3")
- 06/03/2014 - 1,398 Northern Pike (2-3")
- 07/17/2013 - 7,556 Walleye (2.4")
- 05/29/2013 - 2,808 Northern Pike (2.7")
- Curlyleaf Pondweed
- Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Zebra Mussel
The
Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.
- 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: Except for border lakes
- 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:
- Northern Pike
- Season: Continuous, except for boundary lakes
- Daily Bag Limit: 3 fish
- Possession Limit: 6 fish
- Length Limit: none
- Other: Except for border lakes
- Walleye
- Season: Continuous
- Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 5 fish
- Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 10 fish
- Length Limit: none
- Other:
Crystal Lake experienced a summer fish kill in 2021. Follow up fish surveys found good numbers of crappie survived the kill, but the size structure favored smaller fish. Walleye, Northern Pike, and Largemouth Bass populations severely declined as a result of the 2021 fish kill. Largemouth Bass, Walleye, and Bluegill were stocked in the fall of 2021. Northern Pike will be stocked in the spring of 2022.(2022)
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. Here is a list of current fish consumption advisories for Iowa lakes and rivers.