Green Valley Lake, IA: Crappie, Bass Fishing & Camping

Green Valley Lake near Creston, Iowa. Public domain.

Green Valley Lake is a 390-acre lake in the rolling hills of southwest Iowa, the centerpiece of Green Valley State Park near Creston. A popular fishing and family lake with a beach, a large campground and good bass and crappie, it’s one of the better recreation lakes in the southern part of the state.

This guide covers Green Valley Lake: the fishing, the state park, and access. It’s part of our growing Iowa Lakes Database.

Table of Contents

Green Valley Lake at a glance
Fishing Green Valley Lake
The state park
Getting there and what’s nearby
Know before you go
Frequently asked questions
What fish are in Green Valley Lake?
Where is Green Valley Lake?

Green Valley Lake at a glance

Surface area: ~390 acres at Green Valley State Park
Location: Union County, southwest Iowa (near Creston)
Top fish: largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, walleye

Fishing Green Valley Lake

Green Valley is a productive warmwater fishery known for crappie and largemouth bass, with good bluegill, channel catfish and stocked walleye too. An Iowa fishing license is required. The lake’s timbered coves, jetties and structure make it a favorite of bank and boat anglers alike, and it’s a popular ice-fishing destination in winter.

The state park

Green Valley State Park offers a swimming beach, a large campground, picnic shelters, boat ramps and trails around the lake. It’s a well-used recreation hub for the Creston area and southwest Iowa, with boating, paddling, swimming and fishing all popular through the summer. The rolling farmland setting is classic southern Iowa.

Getting there and what’s nearby

Green Valley Lake is just north of Creston in Union County, southwest Iowa, off US-34. The Southwest Iowa countryside and the towns of Creston and Afton are nearby.