Black Hawk Lake fishing: Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Largemouth Bass

Target species: Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Black Crappie, Bluegill

The lake

Black Hawk Lake covers 752 acres in Iowa, across Sac County. It is a lake: 94.7% of it is 8 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 10 feet (3 m). Our records hold 8 species for this water.

BlackHawkStatePark 30AcreShelter.jpg
Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0

7 target fish, led by Northern Pike

  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
  • Black Crappie — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Bluegill — Feeding water: 70–85°F.

Also recorded here: Yellow Perch.

LakeViewIA LakesidePark2.jpg
Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0

Stocking: 24,651,353 fish, 1999–2025

Iowa DNR records list 24,651,353 fish released into this water from 1999 to 2025.

LakeViewIA LakesidePark1.jpg
Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Walleye: 23,535,283 in 2003–2022
  • Bluegill: 704,568 in 2013–2023
  • Yellow Perch: 245,346 in 2011–2016
  • Channel Catfish: 98,887 in 1999–2024
  • Largemouth Bass: 46,892 in 1999–2021
  • Northern Pike: 17,930 in 2000–2012
  • Muskellunge: 2,287 in 2013–2025
  • Black Crappie: 160 in 2014–2015

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 10 ft (3 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 94.7% of the water is 8 feet or shallower. We hold 48 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–2 ft: 8.2% of the water
  • 2–3 ft: 6.8% of the water
  • 3–4 ft: 7.5% of the water
  • 4–5 ft: 9.4% of the water
  • 5–6 ft: 22.5% of the water
  • 6–7 ft: 31% of the water
  • 7–8 ft: 9.3% of the water
  • 8–10 ft: 5.4% of the water

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 77°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.5. These readings span 2017–2024.

What is hard here

With 94.7% of the water 8 feet or less, low level turns the flats into hazards.

Where this data comes from

  • Iowa DNR — Iowa DNR: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.