Carter Lake is a lake in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
Stocking records show that the following fish or strains were stocked here. A historical stocking does not by itself prove that a self-sustaining population remains today.
Carter Lake is a lake in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Carter Lake covers about 315 acres and reaches a recorded 25 feet.
Carter Lake is small enough to check weeds, wood, rock and the first deep drop without spending the whole day moving around.
Fish reported from Carter Lake include black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, and largemouth bass. Stocking records for Carter Lake also list northern pike and channel catfish, though that does not mean those fish will be easy to catch on every trip.
For bass at Carter, fish weeds, wood and shade with a spinnerbait, jig or Texas-rigged worm for largemouth.
For panfish at Carter, use a small jig or minnow beside brush for crappie, and fish a worm, cricket or tiny jig near weeds for bluegill, redear or other sunfish.
For large predators at Carter, cast a spoon, spinnerbait or swimbait beside weeds for northern pike.
For bottom fishing at Carter, put cut bait, a nightcrawler or prepared bait on bottom for channel catfish, and use corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig for carp.
Spring at Carter is a good time to check warm coves and incoming water, and summer is a good time to fish shade, weeds and the first drop into deeper water. Fall at Carter can bring fish back to windy points and banks, while winter calls for smaller baits fished slowly.
On a first trip to Carter, check one quiet cove, one rocky or firm point and the nearby deep water with a moving lure, then use a jig or worm where you find fish.
A medium spinning rod covers smaller lures at Carter, while a heavier rod and stronger leader are better for pike or muskellunge.
At Carter, pick one cove and the closest point or drop into deep water, then fish that small area well before making a long move.
Not every trip. A better place at Carter is where a point, drop-off or group of baitfish gives the fish a reason to stop.
Black crappie is on the fish list for Carter, so start with a bait made for that fish instead of guessing at a species that may not be there.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.
Source dates describe the evidence, not a live catch forecast. Check the managing authority before planning access or keeping fish.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.