Iowa
Lake
440 acres
Not yet reviewed
About Fishing at Bays Branch Lake
Bays Branch Lake is a public lake in Guthrie County, Iowa, managed by US Army Corps of Engineers.
It is public water managed for fishing by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Lakes and reservoirs across this region typically hold walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and panfish such as bluegill, crappie and pumpkinseed, with muskellunge present in some larger lakes -- species commonly documented across the region's public waters by state wildlife agencies.
Bays Branch Lake covers about 440 acres in the Central Iowa region. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Bay Branch and Lake Panorama.
Public access
Not yet reviewed
Managed by
US Army Corps of Engineers
Access & Rules at Bays Branch Lake
Facilities Near Bays Branch Lake
Boat ramps: 1 mapped — Boat ramp.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Fishing Licence for Bays Branch Lake
Anyone 16-64 needs an Iowa DNR fishing licence — the resident annual is about $22, the non-resident annual about $48, and non-resident 1-day/7-day licences are sold. A trout fee (about $16.50) is required in addition to the fishing licence to fish for or keep trout in the Driftless Area streams and stocked trout lakes. Iowa residents 65 and older can buy a discounted licence, and anyone under 16 fishes free. Buy from Iowa DNR at iowadnr.gov.
Trout fee & border waters
A ~$16.50 Iowa trout fee is required (in addition to the fishing licence) to fish for or keep trout in the northeast Driftless Area streams and the stocked put-and-take lakes
Some Driftless streams carry special catch-and-release or artificial-lure-only regulations — check the current DNR trout stream guide
The Mississippi River is fished on an Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin or Minnesota licence in the border reaches; the Missouri on an Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota or Missouri licence
View Bays Branch Lake on Google Maps →
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Frequently Asked Questions
What fish are in Bays Branch Lake?+
Bays Branch Lake is managed for fishing by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources; check the IA DNR lake-survey / fishing-report page for this water.
Is Bays Branch Lake public?+
Yes. Bays Branch Lake is public water managed by US Army Corps of Engineers. Access is recorded as "Not yet reviewed" and confirmed via agency records.
What licence do I need for Bays Branch Lake?+
Anyone 16-64 needs an Iowa DNR fishing licence — the resident annual is about $22, the non-resident annual about $48, and non-resident 1-day/7-day licences are sold. A trout fee (about $16.50) is required in addition to the fishing licence to fish for or keep trout in the Driftless Area streams and stocked trout lakes. Iowa residents 65 and older can buy a discounted licence, and anyone under 16 fishes free. Buy from Iowa DNR at iowadnr.gov.
