Fishing in Harrison County
Harrison County Conservation Board's largest lake is located at the Willow Lake Recreation Area with a 27-acre lake with great fishing for all ages! There are largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie, and channel catfish. There is a boat ramp located next to the South parking lot and only electric motors are allowed on the lake.
Several lake improvements have been made over the past few years, in part, because of the Iowa Fish Habitat Program. Nearly 2000 feet of shoreline has been protected with rip-rap, providing excellent bank stabilization and a great place for young fish to hide. Three 75-foot long fishing jetties also provide access to deeper waters without the need for a boat. The summer aeration system, which runs on a bi-annual basis, opens up the entire depth of the lake for fish to live and increase their size.
Harrison County Conservation Board periodically removes cedars from prairie areas to maintain the habitat. These trees are then sunk into the lake providing more cover for young fish to grow larger. Locations of these can be found on the Willow Lake Fishing Map. These spots are great during ice fishing, with ice thickness typically running from 8 inches to well over a foot during a normal winter. Call HCCB at 712-647-2785 to get an update on ice thickness and fishing conditions year round.
Other HCCB areas including Schaben Park, Schley Park, and Sawmill Hollow Wildlife Area also have fishing lakes with bass, bluegill, and catfish. There is bank fishing available at the Sioux Dam Wildlife Area and Remington Boat Launch. Click here for a complete overview of all park and wildlife areas. To learn more about Iowa fish and fishing regulations, visit the Iowa DNR fishing website.
If you experience any problems opening the .pdf maps in your web browser, please save the file to your computer before opening it. Questions? Contact the Webmaster.