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Big Spirit Lake is one of the lakes LakeRadar tracks in Iowa. It covers roughly 5,684 surface acres (about 9 square miles). Research-grade observations nearby include Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth Bass, and Yellow Perch. Nearby alternatives include Spirit Lake and West Okoboji Lake. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Big Spirit Lake.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 6:58 PM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Excellent (91/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (95/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 85/100 across these hours. Wind 10 mph from the southeast. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 74° | 72° | 70° | 68° | 66° | 67° | 66° | 66° | 66° | 67° | 67° | 66° | 65° | 64° | 65° | 67° | 69° | 74° | 77° | 79° | 80° | 81° | 83° | 84° |
| Wind (kts) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 17 |
| Direction | S | SE | SE | SE | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 |
| Precip % | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 74°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 15 mph | 1% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 72°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 14 mph | 1% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 70°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 16 mph | 1% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 68°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 17 mph | 1% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 66°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 18 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 67°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 66°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 66°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 0% | Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 66°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 67°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 25 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 67°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 28 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 66°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 6 AM CDT | 65°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 30 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Sat, 7 AM CDT | 64°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 31 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Sat, 8 AM CDT | 65°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 33 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Sat, 9 AM CDT | 67°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 35 mph | 0% | 0% | Sunny |
| Sat, 10 AM CDT | 69°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 36 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Sat, 11 AM CDT | 74°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 37 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Sat, 12 PM CDT | 77°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 38 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Sat, 1 PM CDT | 79°F | 25 mph S (180°) | 39 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Sat, 2 PM CDT | 80°F | 25 mph S (180°) | 39 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Sat, 3 PM CDT | 81°F | 25 mph S (180°) | 38 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Sat, 4 PM CDT | 83°F | 25 mph S (180°) | 37 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Sat, 5 PM CDT | 84°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 36 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Sat, 6 PM CDT | 82°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 33 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Tonight October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 63° | 86° | 66° | 85° | 58° | 73° | 50° | 63° | 48° | 63° | 49° | 62° | 44° | 56° |
| Wind | SSE 10 to 20 mph | S 20 to 25 mph | S 15 to 20 mph | S 15 mph | WSW 10 mph | N 10 mph | N 10 to 15 mph | N 10 mph | NE 5 to 10 mph | E 10 to 15 mph | SE 10 to 15 mph | WSW 15 mph | WNW 15 to 20 mph | WNW 20 mph |
| Gusts | 30 mph | 40 mph | 35 mph | 25 mph | 20 mph | 15 mph | 16 mph | 16 mph | 13 mph | 20 mph | 18 mph | 29 mph | 27 mph | — |
| Precip % | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 10% | 9% | 3% | 24% | 43% | 61% | 61% | 34% | 22% |
| Forecast |
Excellent for fishing (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the south-southeast. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for boating (88/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the south-southeast. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for sailing (95/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the SSE is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (88/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the south-southeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of IA Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Big Spirit Lake is an established freshwater lake in IA that delivers excellent freshwater boating, fishing, and outdoor recreation. The waterbody's bathymetry and shoreline vegetation provide productive habitat for gamefish year-round. Public recreation areas and boat launch facilities are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Bluegill, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Big Spirit Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 6:58 PM CDT