Pilot Knob Lake Fishing in Winnebago County, Iowa

• Overview

  Pilot Knob Lake is a Winnebago County water, in Iowa. It sits in mixed forest. It covers about 16 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The closest town, Forest City, is 3.9 miles distant. The big place round here is Rochester, 76 miles distant. Within easy reach: Deadmans Lake within 0.2 miles, Rice Lake out at 10 miles, Clear Lake within 11 miles, Crystal Lake out at 12 miles and Eagle Lake within 12 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Pilot Knob Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Winnebago County list yellow perch, bluegill, white sucker, green sunfish and largemouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Work Pilot Knob Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 72°F, with January the cold end at about 13°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Pilot Knob Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. There are toilets half a mile off. The water borders Pilot Knob State Preserve, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Deadmans Lake, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Pilot Knob Lake as something to verify.