Today's Best Fishing Times for
Des Moines, United States ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸

Solunar
Weather
7-Day
Spots

How to use our fishing calendar

Planning your next fishing trip in Des Moines, United States ? Today is a good day for fishing. Our comprehensive fishing almanac combines our popular solunar tables, moon times, sunrise and sunset times, and a 7-day fishing calendar so you always know the best fishing times in your area. We analyse major and minor solunar bite times, rate each day on a five-star scale, and pair it with localized weather forecasts so you can quickly tell whether today is a good day to fish without juggling multiple tabs. Be sure to bookmark this page so you never miss a bite. view bite times...

  • Check our unique Solunar Clock for precise solunar tables and the best moon phases.
  • Use the forecast calendar section to sync bite times with major weather changes.
  • Analyze the forecasted weather conditions, such as wind, barometric pressure and rain to plan your fishing session.
  • Jump to the 7-Day Fishing Calendar for an extended fishing forecast, then explore nearby fishing spots on the interactive map.

Fishing in Des Moines, Iowa centers on the Des Moines River, local reservoirs, and well-managed city lakes that offer surprisingly diverse angling opportunities. From hard-fighting smallmouth bass in rocky river stretches to trophy crappie and walleye in nearby impoundments, Des Moines fishing spots reward shore anglers, kayak anglers, and boaters alike. Year-round action, from spring panfish runs to hardwater ice fishing, makes the Des Moines metro a top Midwestern fishing destination. read more...

Some of the best fishing spots near Des Moines include: Saylorville Lake, Big Creek Lake, Des Moines River, Raccoon River, Rock Creek Lake, Lake Ahquabi, Grays Lake, etc. see full list

Sun and Moon Times

The sun will be at it's highest point at . Today we have 14:52 hours of daylight. For shallow water fishing the twilight periods are often the most productive fishing times, especially on days when a major or minor time will coincide with twilight. In low light conditions predators have better cover for their ambush and often hunt in shallow water.
  • Nautical Twilight begins:
    Sunrise:
  • Sunset:
    Nautical Twilight ends:
  • Moonrise:
  • Moonset:
  • Moon over:
  • Moon under:
  • Visibility:
    23%
  • Waxing Crescent - 23% illuminated Waxing Crescent
Next Full Moon in ~11 days on 29th July
  • Distance to earth:
    383,076 km
    Proximity:
    53.1 %
We can compare the current moon distance to it's minimum and maximum distance from earth and express that as proximity. A high proximity means the moon is closer to earth. At 50% it would be at it's mean distance. A high proximity causes big tides, currents and has a direct effect on increased bite times. A proximity greater than 90% indicates a super moon.
Moon Phases for Des Moines
New Moon
Tue, 14 Jul
Full Moon
Wed, 29 Jul
New Moon
Wed, 12 Aug
Full Moon
Thu, 27 Aug

Solunar Bite Times

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Best fishing times:
  • major Time:
    03:30 am - 05:30 am
  • minor Time:
    09:56 am - 11:56 am
  • major Time:
    04:04 pm - 06:04 pm
  • minor Time:
    10:13 pm - 12:13 am
All times are displayed in the America/Chicago timezone and are automatically adjusted to daylight savings. The current timezone offset is -5 hours. Green and yellow areas indicate the best fishing times (major and minor). The center shows the current moon phase which is a Waxing Crescent at 23% lumination. According to the Solunar Theory, today is a good day for fishing, but you need to cross check this with the current weather forecast for a final decision. Currently we have a major fishing time. The next best fishing time ( ) starts in -5 hour and -40 minute. The gray time indicator displays the current local time.
America/Chicago • Sat, 18 Jul 17:32 • 41.601, -93.609
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Current Fishing Weather

Updating Weather Infos...

7 Day Fishing Weather

The weather plays an important role in fishing. Wind strenght and direction often determine where you can fish and where fish might be holding. Although high pressure is usually good for fishing, steep pressure changes often trigger feeding frenzies and are great times for fishing. Of course temperature has also a strong effect on fishing and comfort on the water. So make sure to cross check the weather forecast with the solunar fishing times to determine the best times to go fishing. The graph below shows you the 3 hourly weather progression over the next 7 days. Scroll the graph left or right to see more.
Selected Weather Station: Des Moines, US
Temperature
Wave Height
Swell Height
Wind
Pressure
Humidity
Cloudcover
Rain Precipitation
UV Index
Retrieving Weather...

7 Day Fishing Forecast Calendar
Date Major Bite Times Minor Bite Times Sun Moon Moonphase
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S: 		Waxing Crescent moon phase
Waxing Crescent
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S: 		Waxing Crescent moon phase
Waxing Crescent
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S: 		First Quarter Moon moon phase
First Quarter Moon
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S: 		R:
S: 		First Quarter Moon moon phase
First Quarter Moon
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S: 		R:
S: 		First Quarter Moon moon phase
First Quarter Moon
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S: 		R:
S: 		First Quarter Moon moon phase
First Quarter Moon
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S: 		Waxing Gibbous moon phase
Waxing Gibbous
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S: 		Waxing Gibbous moon phase
Waxing Gibbous
*bold times indicate best fishing times around sunrise or sunset

Fishing Overview Des Moines

Des Moines fishing is built around a network of urban lakes, the Des Moines River, and nearby reservoirs like Saylorville and Easter Lake, giving local anglers options for every style and season. Spring through late fall is prime open-water time, with ice fishing opportunities most winters when conditions allow.

In spring, focus on warming shallow bays and coves in metro lakes such as Gray’s Lake, Easter Lake, and Big Creek Lake north of town. Crappie and bluegill move tight to brush, riprap, and docks; slip bobbers with small jigs tipped with plastics or waxworms are highly effective. On the Des Moines River through downtown and north toward Saylorville, rising flows push walleye, saugeye, and smallmouth bass onto current breaks, eddies, and inside bends. Use 1/8–1/4 oz jigs with plastics, swimbaits, or live minnows, working seams and below riffles where bait collects.

Summer patterns in Des Moines revolve around early and late windows. For largemouth bass in city ponds and lakes, throw weightless soft plastics, frogs, or swim jigs around weedlines, laydowns, and man-made structure at dawn and dusk. Midday, downsize to finesse plastics or Ned rigs worked slowly along deeper edges and riprap. On Big Creek and Saylorville, target suspended white bass, walleye, and yellow bass relating to submerged humps and channel drops; trolling crankbaits or pulling bottom bouncers with live bait is a reliable way to cover water. Catfish action on the Des Moines River is strong on warm evenings—set cut bait or stink bait on slip-sinker rigs in deeper outside bends, below dams, and at the heads of holes.

Fall is one of the best times to fish Des Moines. Cooling water pulls baitfish shallow, and predators follow. Work windblown points and shorelines on Big Creek, Saylorville, and Easter Lake with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits for bass and walleye. Crappie school up on deeper brush piles and vertical cover; use electronics where possible and drop small jigs directly into fish you mark. River smallmouth and walleye feed heavily before winter in rocky runs and tailouts—switch to slightly larger jigs and crankbaits to match bigger forage.

Winter ice fishing is popular on smaller Des Moines-area lakes and protected arms of larger reservoirs when safe ice forms. Bluegill, crappie, and perch are the main targets; look for inside weedlines early, shifting to basin areas and mid-depth flats as winter progresses. Small tungsten jigs with plastics or spikes, fished just above marked fish on sonar, consistently produce. On waters that allow it, set tip-ups or deadsticks for walleye along drop-offs and points during low light.

Across the Des Moines metro, key tactical tips include downsizing presentations in pressured urban waters, fishing early and late to avoid heavy recreational traffic, and using moving baits to locate active fish before slowing down with finesse approaches. Combining bank access around city parks with a simple kayak or small boat setup opens up nearly every productive fishing area in and around Des Moines.

The Best Fishing Spots around Des Moines

Saylorville Lake

A sprawling reservoir on the Des Moines River just north of the city, Saylorville Lake is a regional hotspot for walleye, white bass, hybrid striped bass (wipers), crappie, and big channel and flathead catfish. Spring runs concentrate predators near inflows and below the dam, summer trolling and casting shine on windblown points, and fall schools of white bass can erupt on the surface. Multiple ramps and long stretches of accessible shoreline make it friendly for both boaters and bank anglers; when winds are high, many shift to sheltered coves or to the tailwater area below the dam toward Des Moines River.

Big Creek Lake

Just north of the metro, Big Creek Lake is a clear-water favorite known for muskie, quality walleye, crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Early season walleyes relate to riprap and drop-offs, muskies patrol weed edges and points through summer, and winter crappie and bluegill draw crowds over deeper basins. Numerous boat ramps, fishing jetties, and accessible shoreline make it versatile, and anglers often compare clarity and wind exposure with nearby Saylorville Lake when choosing the day’s plan.

Des Moines River

Flowing through the heart of the city, the Des Moines River offers urban access to walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass, channel and flathead catfish, and seasonal white bass near dams. Tailwater areas and current seams are productive in spring and fall, while summer nights shine for big flatheads around woody cover. Shore anglers work bridges, parks, and low-head dam areas, while boaters probe long runs and outside bends; when levels fluctuate, many cross-check conditions with the Raccoon River or head to Saylorville Lake.

Raccoon River

Merging with the Des Moines River downtown, the Raccoon River is a metro staple for channel catfish, smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, and crappie in slower pools. Spring pre-spawn bass stack below riffles and around laydowns, summer evenings are excellent for cats on cut bait, and fall brings mixed-bag action along current breaks. Access from parks, greenways, and canoe launches supports both shore and small-boat approaches; when clarity drops, many anglers pivot to Big Creek Lake or Easter Lake.

Rock Creek Lake

East of the metro near Kellogg, Rock Creek Lake is a well-known multi-species fishery featuring crappie, walleye, bluegill, largemouth bass, and channel catfish. Crappie stack on brush and edges during spring and again in fall, while walleyes roam windblown shorelines and points. With multiple ramps, long shorelines, and coves to escape the breeze, it’s a reliable option when larger waters like Red Rock Reservoir are too rough.

Lake Ahquabi

South of Des Moines near Indianola, Lake Ahquabi is a clear, productive lake known for largemouth bass, quality bluegill and redear sunfish, crappie, and channel catfish. Spring brings shallow panfish and bass around emergent vegetation and wood, summer bass cruise edges and offshore humps, and fall schools of crappie tighten on structure. The no-wake setting suits kayaks and small boats, and there’s ample bank access; anglers often pair it with nearby Banner Lakes trips.

Grays Lake

Minutes from downtown, Grays Lake is a heavily visited urban spot where anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, and carp from piers and paths or by small craft. Spring and early summer see panfish and bass along riprap and weeds, while evenings and overcast days help the bite in this clear, shallow basin. It’s a convenient option for quick trips, with many anglers rotating between here and Easter Lake depending on wind and traffic.

Interactive Fishing Map for the greater Des Moines area

Harbours and Marinas can often times be productive fishing spots for land based fishing as their sheltered environment attracts a wide variety of bait fish. Similar to river mouths, harbour entrances are also great places to fish as lots of fish will move in and out with the rising and falling tides. There are 1 main harbours in this area.

Saylorville Marina - 18.97603722718km

We found a total of 40 potential fishing spots nearby Des Moines. Below you can find them organized on a map. Points, Headlands, Reefs, Islands, Channels, etc can all be productive fishing spots. As these are user submitted spots, there might be some errors in the exact location. You also need to cross check local fishing regulations. Some of the spots might be in or around marine reserves or other locations that cannot be fished. If you click on a location marker it will bring up some details and a quick link to google search, satellite maps and fishing times. Tip: Click/Tap on a new area to load more fishing spots.

Boatman Island - 0.94441801498km , Scott Street Dam - 2.29189170294km , Raccoon River - 2.35834090084km , Dean Lake - 2.97937641511km , Grays Lake - 4.15100093281km , Saylor Creek - 5.06446783449km , Canary Lake (historical) - 5.07069006734km , Case Lake - 5.38584655973km , Frink Creek - 6.74832242075km , Little Fourmile Creek - 7.00284546371km , Yeader Creek - 8.67418252197km , Muchikinock Creek - 8.76863039156km , Fisher Lake - 9.91892662323km , Carney Marsh - 9.96206162608km , Lake Halice - 10.94000772934km , Hickory Lake Dam - 12.38990820009km , Avon Lake - 12.49693449632km , Saylorville Dam - 12.89912611438km , Randleman Lake - 14.35267443461km , North River - 16.57293442975km , Plug Run - 18.63982473904km , Big Creek Barrier Dam - 18.70118564054km , Saylorville Marina - 18.97603722718km , Cavitt Creek - 19.44238379915km , Big Creek Pounding Area - 20.00998316117km , Fox Creek - 20.41973177489km , Sugar Creek Lake Dam - 20.97439687723km , Sugar Creek Lake - 21.03612975459km , Brenton Slough - 21.25558928809km , Middle River - 21.80719362037km , Woodland Lake Dam - 21.80778390935km , Big Creek Terminal Dam - 22.8127175447km , Felters Branch - 22.92654612531km , Santiago Creek - 24.12843141458km , Howard Lake - 24.60485027139km , Alleman Creek - 25.25774757725km , Mill Branch - 25.56400797919km , South River - 25.64565271544km , Big Creek Lake - 26.52704293785km , Browns Lake - 26.6643089401km

Harbours and Marinas Beaches Bays Wharfs Points,Reefs,etc
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