Star of east-central Iowa’s recreation opportunities, Coralville Lake has led the pack for the 60 years of its existence. Originally built to control flooding and regulate fluctuating water levels on the Iowa River, the Coralville Reservoir quickly became the go-to…
One of east central Iowa’s best recreation lakes is Lake Macbride. Construction of the lake was first recommended in 1932, with the project adopted by the State Conservation Board. A $50,000 federal grant was secured to pay for the dam,…
Most of the world equates Iowa with corn fields and election-year Straw Polls and has never heard of Iowa’s Great Lakes. Nestled in the Northwest Region of the state just south of the Minnesota border, the Iowa Great Lakes offer…
In the late 1800’s the Missouri River changed its course, altering the future of the area around Omaha, Nebraska and creating Carter Lake. Spanning parts of the southwest region of Iowa and the Metro region of Nebraska, Carter Lake quickly…
Located in Martin County, Minnesota and Emmet County, Iowa, Okamanpeedan Lake is also known as Tuttle Lake. Okamanpeedan is Native American for “nesting place of the herons” signifying the large population of herons that live along the shoreline in the…
Big Creek Lake is located about 11 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa near the town of Polk City. The lake was created in the 1970s by the Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Saylorville Project, a flood…
Saylorville Lake is a man-made reservoir located on the Des Moines River bordering the town of Polk City, about 11 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa. The reservoir was completed in 1977 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in…
Storm Lake is located in Buena Vista County in northern Iowa. At 3,097 acres, the lake is one of the largest natural lakes in the state. On the northern shore of the lake is the town of Storm Lake, a…
Silver Lake, a natural glacial lake spanning 1,041 acres, is located in northwestern Iowa bordering the town of Lake Park. It is one of the chain of lakes known as Iowa’s Great Lakes. This multiple-lake area is a favorite vacation…
One of the largest lakes in the state of Iowa, Rathbun Lake is located in Appanoose County and is a perfect place to enjoy water sports, fishing, and outdoor activities of all kinds. This beautiful lake in south-central Iowa has…
Lake Red Rock is a reservoir in south-central Iowa created by the Army Corps of Engineers. This Marion County lake was constructed over the course of nine years in a massive damming project on the Des Moines River, at an…
Clear Lake is located in Cerro Gordo County in northern Iowa. At 3,684 acres it is one of the largest natural lakes in the state. Clear Lake is one of thirty-four naturally occurring glacial lakes in the state of Iowa…
West Okoboji Lake is one of Iowa’s eight Great Lakes located in Dickinson County. It was named “Minnetonka” by the Sioux Indians meaning “Great Waters.” Subterranean springs provide the lake with 3,847 acres of clear blue water, which has aided…
East Okoboji Lake is one of a chain of lakes known as Iowa’s Great Lakes. East Okoboji Lake received its unique name from the Dakota Indians. They called it “Okoboozhy”, which means “reeds”, because that is what the lake was…
Spirit Lake is one of a chain of lakes known as Iowa’s Great Lakes. Also called Big Spirit Lake, this natural body of water was named by the Dakota Native Americans who believed the lake was guarded by evil spirits.…