Fishing Sugar Creek Lake in Dallas County, Iowa

• Overview

  Sugar Creek Lake belongs to Dallas County, Iowa. The bank is 886 feet above sea level. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Waukee lies 4.2 miles from the water. Beyond it, Van Meter at 5.4 miles and Clive at 7.5 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Sugar Creek Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Dallas County cover bluegill, channel catfish, pumpkinseed and white bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Sugar Creek Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 75°F in July and bottoms out near 20°F in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count the season from break-up, usually mid March. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid March until roughly mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Sugar Creek Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Reserve land runs up to the bank here, so read the notices. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Dale Maffitt Reservoir is 4.3 miles off. Treat Sugar Creek Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.