Grays Lake Fishing near Des Moines, Iowa

• Overview

  Look for Grays Lake in the Polk County part of Iowa. Height above sea level is 778 feet. At about 96 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The closest town, Des Moines, is 2.6 miles distant. It is 2.5 miles to Des Moines, the nearest city. Close neighbours run: Dean Lake just 3.4 miles, Case Lake (3.9 miles), Lake Easter just 4.2 miles, Lake Colechester (5.3 miles) and Lake Halice just 6.2 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Grays Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Polk County records list bluegill, green sunfish and channel catfish among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Grays Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 76°F in July and bottom out at 20°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid March. Open water usually runs from mid March until about mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan any trip to Grays Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. There are toilets half a mile off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Dean Lake is 3.4 miles off. The position on Grays Lake is worth confirming on the day.