If you’re from Iowa and you love to walleye fish, then you know we have some excellent opportunities for catching Old Marble Eyes. Rivers, shallow natural lakes, deeper lakes, large reservoirs, small reservoirs. Hey Iowa’s got it all! If you can learn to consistently catch walleyes here, you can catch them anywhere. It takes a diverse fisherman to be consistent here. A big part of consistency is fishing the right waters at the right time… At ice out we find the small rivers will produce quality fishing since they warm up first. Iowa Walleye Magazine has a listing of all the places you can visit. There are many. As soon as the lakes lose their ice we find small shallow natural lakes start kicking out walleyes in earnest. Storm Lake is a winner for this time of year. For night fishing in April you can’t beat shore casting stickbaits off our reservoir dams. A few weeks later Clear Lake starts to really turn on with the post spawn season and you’ll find very good fishing here.

As we get into early summer the smaller reservoirs turn on. Actually everywhere you fish during this time will be productive. However, May and June are wonderful times to fish Three Mile, Twelve Mile, Brushy Creek, and Big Creek. Many fishermen make the mistake of fishing to deep in these waters at this time. Spirit Lake is another must visit when you’re looking for June walleyes. With dog days you’ll find Rathbun is the state’s favorite. Be sure to ply very shallow, mid-depths, very deep, and suspended patterns on lake Rathbun. The fish spread out horizontally and vertically during this time of year. As the waters cool down in fall you’ll want to check out both East and West Okoboji as well as Spirit Lake. Our reservoir fish tend to stay more spread out and these places are jammed with forage. During the late fall period you see the reservoirs really turning on for daytime action, but the night bite in November is something everyone should learn more about. Be sure visit my website so you can learn much more about walleye fishing in the Hawkeye state.

First off, you will need to coordinate with your Iowa hunting outfitter to determine if they provide pickup from local airports or if you are responsible for driving to the hunting location. Most providers will offer some type of pickup service, usually for a minimal extra charge. You also need to consider what you would like to do during your off time not hunting. If you plan on doing any site seeing or would prefer some extra flexibility for the guided deer hunt, it may be worth renting a vehicle for the week. Many times you will be traveling in remote locations with possible high accumulation of snow. It is worth paying the extra fee to have a SUV versus a car when you are traveling in the Midwest.

If you are planning on flying into Iowa for your guided deer hunt there are a few different options. Des Moines, Iowa’s largest city, is centrally located and a good access point for flights. If you are planning on hunting in Western Iowa you can also consider flying into Omaha Nebraska which is located on the Nebraska/Iowa border. If your deer hunting outfitter is located in Northeast Iowa you can also consider LaCrosse Wisconsin, which is very close to the Wisconsin/Iowa border. With these many options you won’t be left with an extremely long drive in the middle of an Iowa winter. Whichever method of transport you choose just make sure you plan accordingly. With the unpredictable weather it may be a good idea to allow yourself and extra travel day to ensure you are at your local outfitter the first day of the hunting season.