Welch Lake Fishing near Spirit Lake, Iowa

• Overview

  In Iowa, Welch Lake falls inside Dickinson County. It stands 1,427 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 47 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The bank runs about 1.1 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Dickinson County list. Spirit Lake is the closest place, 4.4 miles off. Arnolds Park follows at 6.6 miles, then Lake Park at 7.5 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Welch Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Dickinson County records list common carp, yellow perch and bluegill among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Welch Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 72°F; the cold one sits at 13°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near early December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on Welch Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. This sits inside Welch Lake Waterfowl Production Area, so read the reserve notices first. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Diamond Lake at 1.7 miles is the sensible second choice. For Welch Lake in particular, ask before you travel.