Swan Lake Fishing near Carroll, Iowa

• Overview

  Swan Lake is listed under Carroll County, Iowa. The bank is 1,240 feet above sea level. It measures about 119 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. About 2.1 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. You are 2.2 miles from Carroll. The big place round here is Des Moines, 70 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Swan Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Survey and observation records for Carroll County include black crappie, common carp, bluegill and channel catfish. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Swan Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 74°F, with January the cold end at about 18°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late March. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Swan Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Artesian Lake, 11 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Swan Lake carry more weight than any list.