🐟 What fish can you catch in Sun Valley Lake?

Most commonly caught species around Sun Valley Lake , IA : Largemouth bass - 1,413 reported catches Bluegill - 275 reported catches Black crappie - 242 reported catches Channel catfish - 179 reported catches White crappie - 72 reported catches .

📢 What are the latest Sun Valley Lake fishing reports?

The latest Sun Valley Lake , IA fishing reports are: @Jlaudria reported a nice Black crappie at Green Valley Lake . @Jlaudria reported a nice Black crappie . @TSmith1189 reported a nice Bluegill at Summit Lake . @TSmith1189 reported a nice Bluegill at Summit Lake . @TSmith1189 reported a nice Yellow bullhead at Summit Lake . .

Fishing in Sun Valley Lake, IA

Q: 🎣 Where to fish in Sun Valley Lake, Iowa?

Anglers in Sun Valley Lake , IA recommend these top fishing spots: Grand River , Thompson River , Loch Ayr , Old Reservoir , Thayer Lake .

Q: 📅 What is the best time to go fishing in Sun Valley Lake?

Download the Fishbrain app and see today's Fishing and Weather Forecast for Sun Valley Lake , IA . We give you weather trends and help you find the perfect window to catch your next personal best. With Fishbrain Pro , you will get the following capabilities: Plan smarter: Get hour-by-hour fishing weather conditions. Fish at peak times: Use BiteTime™ predictions to maximize catches. Stay ahead of the weather: Get hyper-local, real-time updates. .

Iowa, United States

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Top fish species in Sun Valley Lake

Latest Sun Valley Lake fishing reports

Black crappie

Green Valley Lake

length · weight

Black crappie

length · weight

Bluegill

Summit Lake

length · weight

Bluegill

Summit Lake

length · weight

Yellow bullhead

Summit Lake

length · weight

Bluegill

Summit Lake

length · weight

Channel catfish

Summit Lake

20 in · 2 lb 4 oz

Largemouth bass

Summit Lake

length · weight

Yellow bullhead

Summit Lake

length · weight

Yellow bullhead

Summit Lake

length · weight

More catches in the app...

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Fishing regulations in Sun Valley Lake

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in Iowa can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Largemouth bass as of May 8th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Select species

Largemouth bass

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

Min size

12"

Measurement

Total Length

Special gear

Aggregate

Statewide regulations: No closed season.

Daily bag limit = 3 bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, combined).

Daily possession limit = 6 bass (combined)

EXCEPTIONS:

All black bass caught from the following stream segments and lakes must be released alive immediately:

Brown Lake (Jackson)
Cedar River (Mitchell) extending downstream from the bridge on county road A19 east of Otranto as posted to the bridge on county road T26 south of St. Ansgar
Maquoketa River (Delaware) extending downstream from below Lake Delhi Dam as posted to the first county gravel road bridge
Middle Raccoon River (Guthrie) extending downstream from below Lake Panorama Dam as posted to the dam at Redfield
Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek) extending downstream from the Fifth Street bridge in Decorah as posted to the upper dam
Wapello Lake (Davis).

Inland Waters:

Minimum size = 15-inches in all public lakes, including Coralville, Rathbun, Saylorville, and Red Rock reservoirs except as otherwise posted, including:

Ada Hayden (Story): 18-inch minimum
Ahquabi, Hooper (Warren): 18-inch minimum
Big Creek: 18-inch minimum
Casey (Tama): 18-inch minimum
Cold Springs (Cass): 18-inch minimum
Green Valley (Union): 18-inch minimum
Hawthorn (Mahaska): all 12 to 16-inch fish must be immediately released!
Hendricks (Howard): 18-inch minimum
Krumm (Jasper): 18-inch minimum
Little Wall (Hamilton): 18-inch minimum
Lost Grove (Scott): 18-inch minimum
Mill Creek (O'Brien): 18-inch minimum
Pleasant Creek (Linn): 18-inch minimum
Smith (Kossuth): 18-inch minimum
South Prairie (Black Hawk): 18-inch minimum
Sugema (Van Buren): all 12 to 18-inch fish must be immediately released!
Swan Lake (Carroll): 16-inch minimum
Thomas Mitchell: 18-inch minimum
Yellow Banks (Polk): 18-inch minimum

Interior Streams & River Impoundments

Minimum size limit = 12-inch minimum except

Boundary Rivers (including associated chutes and backwaters where intermittent or constant flow occur)

Daily Bag Limit = 5 bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, combined).
Possession Limit = 10 bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, combined).
Mississippi River: Minimum size = 14-inches total length.
Missouri River: Minimum size = 12-inches total length.

Very good Catch, Clean, Cook Largemouth Bass by BlueGabe

Micropterus nigricans

Regulations for

40°50′59.6″N 94°04′6.2″W

Regulations in the map

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FAQ about Sun Valley Lake fishing

Anglers in Sun Valley Lake, IA recommend these top fishing spots: Grand River, Thompson River, Loch Ayr, Old Reservoir, and Thayer Lake.

Most commonly caught species around Sun Valley Lake, IA:

Largemouth bass - 1,413 reported catches
Bluegill - 275 reported catches
Black crappie - 242 reported catches
Channel catfish - 179 reported catches
White crappie - 72 reported catches

The latest Sun Valley Lake, IA fishing reports are:

@Jlaudria reported a nice Black crappie at Green Valley Lake.
@Jlaudria reported a nice Black crappie.
@TSmith1189 reported a nice Bluegill at Summit Lake.
@TSmith1189 reported a nice Bluegill at Summit Lake.
@TSmith1189 reported a nice Yellow bullhead at Summit Lake.

Download the and see today's Fishing and Weather Forecast for Sun Valley Lake, IA. We give you weather trends and help you find the perfect window to catch your next personal best. With Fishbrain Pro, you will get the following capabilities:

Plan smarter: Get hour-by-hour fishing weather conditions.
Fish at peak times: Use BiteTime™ predictions to maximize catches.
Stay ahead of the weather: Get hyper-local, real-time updates.

The biggest Largemouth bass (by length) reported in Sun Valley Lake, IA was a 10 ft caught by Fishbrain user @LukeBeenken at Lake Afton on April 22, 2016.

The biggest Bluegill (by length) reported in Sun Valley Lake, IA was a 1 ft / 1.2 lbs caught by Fishbrain user @AnglerNick5 at West Lake on May 20, 2020.

The biggest Black crappie (by length) reported in Sun Valley Lake, IA was a 2 ft / 10 lbs caught by Fishbrain user @cdeason at Loch Ayr on August 27, 2016.