Fishing at Ruddy Pool, Kossuth County, Iowa

• Overview

  Within Kossuth County, Iowa, you have Ruddy Pool. The bank is 1,109 feet above sea level. It covers about 16 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The whole outline is near 0.9 miles, and most of it is walkable. Most waters listed here for Kossuth County are larger. The closest town, Algona, is 17 miles away. For a city, Rochester is 96 miles off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Ruddy Pool

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Kossuth County cover channel catfish, bluegill, largemouth bass, white sucker and green sunfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Ruddy Pool repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 14°F in January and 72°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Ruddy Pool fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Pierce Pool at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. For Ruddy Pool in particular, ask before you travel.