Fishing Lake Belva Deer in Keokuk County, Iowa

• Overview

  Keokuk County, Iowa, is where Lake Belva Deer sits. The bank is 728 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 237 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. For supplies, Sigourney is 4.9 miles out. North English is 9.7 miles and Wellman 16 miles. Nearby alternatives: Lake Yenruogis a shade over 3.4 miles, Lake Darling 18 miles, Lake Iowa a shade over 18 miles, Lake Keomah 22 miles and Reservoir Number Two a shade over 26 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Belva Deer

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. At Lake Belva Deer the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes. After a blow, the windward bank is the one to try.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 20°F in January up to 75°F in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid March. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid March in spring and again near mid December in autumn. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Expect Lake Belva Deer to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Parking is close: a car park sits half a mile from the bank. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. Part of this sits inside or beside Belva Deer Recreation Area, so read the notices. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Lake Yenruogis is 3.4 miles distant. Rules at Lake Belva Deer are worth checking on the day.