Most of Iowa’s lakes are shallow prairie and reservoir waters – which makes the deep ones special. One lake towers above the rest: West Okoboji, a spring-fed glacial lake and one of the deepest natural lakes in the region. If you’re asking which lakes in Iowa are the deepest, this guide ranks them by maximum depth. Each links to our full lake guide. This page is part of our Iowa Lakes Database.
The deepest lakes in Iowa, ranked
- West Okoboji Lake – ~136 ft. By far the deepest lake in Iowa, this clear, spring-fed glacial lake in the Iowa Great Lakes is famous for its blue water, sailing and smallmouth bass, walleye, perch and panfish. Nothing else in the state comes close.
- Brushy Creek Lake – ~45 ft. A deep man-made lake near Fort Dodge, built in a steep valley, with good water clarity, bass, walleye, muskie and crappie.
- Lake Geode – deep & clear. A deep, clear southeastern-Iowa state-park lake known for clean water, swimming and bass and bluegill fishing.
- Rathbun Lake – deep near the dam. One of Iowa’s largest reservoirs, deepest near its dam, famous for crappie, walleye and catfish.
- Lake Panorama – deep for central Iowa. Iowa’s largest private lake, dredged and managed deep enough for boating, bass and walleye.
- Lake Macbride – moderately deep. A popular state-park lake near Iowa City with deeper water near its dam, good for bass, crappie and bluegill.
- Lake Red Rock – deep near the dam. Iowa’s largest lake, a Des Moines River reservoir that runs deepest near its dam, with walleye, white bass and crappie.
- Coralville Lake – deep near the dam. An Iowa River reservoir near Iowa City, deepest by the dam, with walleye, crappie and catfish.
Why West Okoboji is so deep – and the others aren’t
West Okoboji owes its ~136-foot depth to glaciers, which gouged a deep basin that fills with clear, spring-fed water – a rarity in Iowa. By contrast, Iowa’s other big natural lakes, including Big Spirit Lake and East Okoboji Lake, are broad but shallow (often under 25 feet), and Clear Lake is famously shallow. The state’s other deep spots are man-made: reservoirs that drop off near their dams, and a few deep, dredged or valley-filling lakes like Brushy Creek and Lake Geode. Depth is why West Okoboji stays cool and clear enough for smallmouth bass and even cisco, while the shallow lakes lean toward walleye, bullhead and panfish.
Frequently asked questions
What is the deepest lake in Iowa?
West Okoboji Lake, at about 136 feet, is by far the deepest natural lake in Iowa – a clear, spring-fed glacial lake in the Iowa Great Lakes region.
Why is West Okoboji so clear and deep?
It was carved by glaciers into a deep basin and is fed by springs, giving it unusually clear, blue water and depths far greater than Iowa’s other lakes.
Are Iowa’s other big lakes deep?
No – most are shallow. Big Spirit, East Okoboji and Clear Lake are broad but generally under 25 feet, and the deeper alternatives are man-made reservoirs and lakes like Brushy Creek, Rathbun and Lake Geode.
Related: see the largest lakes in Iowa, the Iowa Great Lakes, or head back to the Iowa Lakes Database.
Quick answers about Iowa lakes
What is the deepest lake in Iowa?
The deepest lake in Iowa is West Okoboji Lake, a spring-fed glacial lake that reaches about 136 feet – one of the few true blue-water lakes in the region.
