← Lake Guide43.13° N · 93.43° W

Iowa

Clear Lake

Clear Lake in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, runs about 3,631 acres and rewards seasonal reading of cover, points, and weather.

Surface
3,631acres
Primary species
Largemouth
§ 01Today on the water · Clear Lakevia Open-Meteo · 09:15 local
Air temp
74.2°F
Barometric
29.88″
↓falling 24h(-0.10)
Wind
12mph
from W
Moon
Waxing Crescent
day 4.0 · 17% lit

Air conditions sampled near the lake center, not measured on the water · refreshed ~15 min

§ 03Next 3 daysvia Open-Meteo · interpretation
  1. 18
    julSat

    Stable window

    hi 87° · lo 73°

    Anytime through the day. Quiet weather day; lean on seasonal pattern and structure.

    ── light n wind · settled

  2. 19
    julSun

    Watch the wind

    hi 88° · lo 68°

    Lean into wind-fed shorelines, all day. Wind drives bait position today; pick the shoreline taking it.

    ── direction shift overnight

  3. 20
    julMon

    Watch the wind

    hi 87° · lo 68°

    Lean into wind-fed shorelines, all day. Wind drives bait position today; pick the shoreline taking it.

    ── stiff s wind

§ 04Field notesIowa

Where it is

In Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Clear Lake spreads across roughly 3,631 acres. Largemouth relate to cover and structure and keep moving as the season shifts.

Seasonal pattern

Spring. Rising temperatures draw largemouth into shallow cover to stage and spawn; the protected, faster-warming water turns on first.

Summer. With the surface hot, largemouth favor deeper edges and shade, and the low-light hours carry the bite.

Fall. Falling water temperature draws bait and largemouth back shallow into a broad, roaming feed.

Winter. Largemouth go deep and sluggish in cold water, so a slow, methodical approach is the safer bet.

Key structure

  • Submerged wood, brush, and laydown cover
  • Weed edges and the clean lines along them
  • Transitions from soft to hard bottom
  • Hard-bottom and rock transitions

Season first, spot second — that order holds here.

Forage

Largemouth in Cerro Gordo County key on baitfish and the panfish sharing that cover, trailing the forage as the season turns.

Access

Around Clear Lake in Cerro Gordo County, public access exists; confirm ramp and launch status locally as levels change through the year.

Regulations

Check current state and local regulations before fishing; limits and seasons can change.

§ 05Sources & field guides

Field guides

Data & references

  • Today's conditions — Open-Meteo, refreshed every ~15 min
  • Moon phase — local astronomical calculation, no external API
  • Lake area, depth, structure — Identity, surface area, coordinates and county/state are from the ProjectD canonical waterbody index (snapshot conus-20260518-v1, group gnis:00455462). Maximum depth and regulation links were not available from an acceptable source and are intentionally omitted.
  • Regulations — verify current state and local regulations before fishing

Last revised · Back to Lake Guide