|
|
Posts: 456
Location: Kansas City BBQ Capitol of the world | Can anyone give some some input on Three Mile or Big creek Lakes in Iowa? I may take a weekend trip or two up there and need some info on what lake to choose. Structure, weedbeds and what size fish I might expect to catch. Any input would be healpful. Thanks, Ron |
|
| |
|
Posts: 5
| I wouldn't bother with Big Creek, for a few years anyway. (If you want Muskies) Supposedly they lost a lot of fish over the spillway into Saylorville. Very low density. They have erected some kind of fence over spillway to help prevent future loss of mature fish. Dnr is stocking again. Give it a few years. Cant help you with Three Mile. Big Spirit up North has some big fish. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 323
Location: Waukee, IA | rjhyland - 4/5/2012 1:12 PM
Can anyone give some some input on Three Mile or Big creek Lakes in Iowa? I may take a weekend trip or two up there and need some info on what lake to choose. Structure, weedbeds and what size fish I might expect to catch. Any input would be healpful. Thanks, Ron
Where are you coming from? Neither lake is very good....not true muskie lakes in any sense of the word. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 456
Location: Kansas City BBQ Capitol of the world | Id be coming from Kansas City. I have been charting Muskie Lakes within a 3 hour drive time from Kansas City. There are 3 here in Missouri that fall into that window but also the two I mentioned in the post and wanted to know more about them. According to Mapquest Three mile is 2 hrs. 38 mins / 166.80 miles. And Big Creek is a bit further at 3 hrs and 16 mins / 203 miles. That's doable on a Saturday if they had good production. So I'm just asking questions to see what's going on up there.
Thanks,
Ron |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2011
| when I lived in Des Moines I would rarely drive 20 minutes to fish big creek ... I'd honestly save your gas....but there is at least one hog in the lake... Fishing in Iowa is like spring training, you just get the shoulder ready for the real season (Canada and MN) 
Edited by IAJustin 4/5/2012 9:47 PM
|
|
| |
|
Location: Altoona IA | Agree with Justin. I live very close and frequent the place often to bring the kids out. 99 percent of my gear is for Musky and the only time it comes with is to work and tune some new lures. Not saying they aren't in there, as wkeegobbler can attest with that great fish, just very very few and far between. Three Mile had a similar issue as Big Creek with fish going over the spillway. Chances are slightly higher there, as it wasn't as extensive. Three Mile also has a little more structure to it. From what I've read there are some nice Musky waters closer to you that have some outstanding programs that other southern midwestern states are starting to follow. I would like to try a few of these out next time i'm down there. Good Luck.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 323
Location: Waukee, IA | I would definitely go to the lakes in Missouri then.....not worth the drive at all! I only go to Big Creek because it is 20 minutes away. My goal was to actually catch one this year (which I did  ) but I have no confidence in catching another one all summer! I WILL be trying but not expecting much. |
|
| |
|
Location: Des Moines IA | I must say, I'm very happy to hear the spillway @ Big Creek has been addressed, and stocking efforts are back underway. I just bough a house 30 miles away, and it'll be nice to have a legitimate musky lake here in the near future. I haven't made it to Three Mile yet, but it's on the to do list for 2012. It looks a lot like Brushy Creek from what I can tell. Deep and lots of timber. If it's stocked at any acceptable rate, they shouldn't be too hard to find in Three Mile. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 9
Location: Polk City Ia | sorry to break it to everybody but the spill way at Big Creek has NOT been addressed yet, fish can still go over (But not this year becasue the water is so low). I was told the other day by a park ranger that the DNR is still planning on putting up a fence to stop the fish but doesnt know when it will be up. Also, I was told that they will will be stocking muskies in there again this summer. |
|
| |
Three mile and Big Creek Lakes IA