Stephens Forest Pond Fishing Guide, Lucas County, Iowa

• Overview

  Stephens Forest Pond is set in Lucas County, Iowa. The setting is pine and birch on every side. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lucas County list. Chariton is the closest place, 9.6 miles off. After that come Osceola at 14 miles and Melcher-Dallas at 19 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Stephens Forest Pond

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Across Lucas County, recorded fish include johnny darter, smallmouth bass, rock bass and bluegill. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Treat Stephens Forest Pond as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 75°F and January reads 21°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid March. Climate figures give an open season running mid March to mid December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Stephens Forest Pond follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. The water borders Stephens State Forest - Lucas Unit, so expect the reserve rules to apply. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. West Lake sits 8.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Stephens Forest Pond before loading the car.