Leadhead rigs are walleye killers anytime, but especially when the ’eyes get finicky. Photo by Ted Peck.

If you’re an angler and live in Iowa, you have it pretty good when it comes to walleye fishing. No matter where you live in the Hawkeye State there’s a good walleye venue nearby. The spots range from large natural lakes to small artificial ones, with several top-producing rivers thrown in for good measure.

Some of these waters are at their best early and late in the year; others produce during the heat of summer. A few are noted for size, many more for numbers, and several for both. Most offer at least some shore-angling as well as boating opportunities. There really is something for everyone.

Review the waters in your area. Pick one or two that look good and give walleye fishing a try this year. There’s no reason to pass up such great fishing.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has one of the most useful Web sites on the Internet; check it out for complete information on your favorite spot. In the case of lakes, that information will very probably include a contour map. The address is www.iowadnr.com/. (References to online information refer to their site.)

Let’s get started!

THE NORTHWEST MANAGEMENT REGION

According to Joe Larscheid, a fisheries research biologist with the IDNR, there are so many good destinations in the Northwest Region that it’s difficult to pick just a few. With that in mind, he points anglers towards Storm Lake , located in Buena Vista County, as being one of the best for a combination of numbers and size.

There’s a 15-inch length limit on the lake — an inch longer than on most Iowa lakes — and you can keep only one walleye over 22 inches, but that won’t hurt your chances any.

At just over 3,000 acres, Storm’s a relatively big body of water, but it can be fished easily with a little information and preparation. The maximum depth is 11 feet, so you know the fish are going to be shallow — they have no other choice.

You’ll find most of the walleyes around rock and weeds. If you can locate spots with a mixture of both, so much the better. Look for any unusual feature, no matter how slight.

Live bait is the choice of most successful local anglers. Jigs tipped with minnows or night crawlers in a harness will almost always produce enough fish for dinner.

Storm offers excellent facilities, including a universally accessible pier and park. The lake has four double-lane concrete ramps for those with boats.

Another top choice for both numbers and size is Clear Lake . This 3,600-acre natural lake is located in Cerro Gordo County. It’s a little bigger and a little deeper than Storm, but despite those differences, if you fish it as if it were Storm, you’ll do fine.

For those anglers looking for high numbers, Spirit Lake , in Dickinson County, is the place to go. Its 5,600 acres offer high numbers of walleyes, although many of them will be below the minimum 14-inch length limit.

There have been several huge year-classes of walleyes in recent years. They account for the high catch rates. In 2004 many of the fish were less than an inch short of being legal. By the time you read this article they will be legal.

Don’t be too quick to keep the 14-inchers, however. A fair number of walleyes around 20 inches are harvested from Spirit every year.

Anglers should troll crankbaits around weedlines and rocky points for numbers. If you get bored catching 14-inch fish, upsize your crankbait. That will cull out some of the smaller ones and attract the bigger ones to bite your lure.

Spirit Lake is universally accessible; it has a fine campground and plenty of launch ramps.

And those of you wanting big walleyes — really big ones — can always head for West Okoboji . Ten-pound walleyes are common at this 3,800-acre Dickinson County lake.

Most of the big ones are taken from relatively deep water — as deep as 35 or 40 feet during the summer and winter. Minnow-tipped jigs are the first choice of baits among local anglers. Study your map and work them along deep-water breaks.