Rock Creek Lake fishing: Walleye, Channel Catfish

Target species: Walleye, Channel Catfish

The lake

Rock Creek Lake covers 474 acres in Iowa, across Jasper County. It is a lake: 95.9% of it is 15 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 16 feet (4.9 m). Our records hold 4 species for this water.

Stocking: 2,078,438 fish, 2012–2024

Iowa DNR records list 2,078,438 fish released into this water from 2012 to 2024.

  • Walleye: 2,068,784 in 2012–2024
  • Channel Catfish: 9,654 in 2013–2017

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 16 ft (4.9 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 95.9% of the water is 15 feet or shallower. We hold 69 depth contour lines for this water.

Rock Creek State Park bridge.jpg
en:User:Cburnett · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • 0–1 ft: 9.3% of the water
  • 1–3 ft: 9.3% of the water
  • 3–4 ft: 6.3% of the water
  • 4–5 ft: 7.1% of the water
  • 5–6 ft: 7.6% of the water
  • 6–7 ft: 6.9% of the water
  • 7–8 ft: 7.1% of the water
  • 8–9 ft: 6.7% of the water
  • 9–10 ft: 5.5% of the water
  • 10–11 ft: 5.2% of the water
  • 11–12 ft: 6.1% of the water
  • 12–13 ft: 6.4% of the water
  • 13–14 ft: 5.8% of the water
  • 14–15 ft: 6.6% of the water
  • 15–16 ft: 4.1% of the water

2 target fish, led by Walleye

  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.

Also recorded here: Northern Pike, Sauger.

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 1–1.4 feet on our readings, averaging 1.2 feet, from 45 readings. Our water temperature readings average 76°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 95.9% of the water 15 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.