Fishing East Lake in Clarke County, Iowa

• Overview

  Within Clarke County, Iowa, you have East Lake. Elevation runs to 1,050 feet. This is a pocket water of some 13 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Clarke County are larger. Osceola is the closest place, 1.2 miles off. The big place round here is Des Moines, 40 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on East Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Across Clarke County, recorded fish include bluegill, black crappie and channel catfish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of East Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 75°F in July and bottoms out near 21°F in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually goes in mid March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about mid March and return around mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on East Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. There is recorded parking some 140 yards off. Toilets are 170 yards away, which matters on a long session. The water sits inside or beside a nature reserve, so expect extra rules. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Grade Lake at 1.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for East Lake.