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West Okoboji Lake is a lake in Iowa. Fish documented in the area include Bluegill, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Largemouth Bass. It covers roughly 3,847 surface acres (about 6 square miles). Sitting at around 1,398 feet of elevation, it drops to a maximum depth near 136 feet. A nearby water gauge supplies level and temperature readings where available. For this location, LakeRadar tracks an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Nearby alternatives include West Lake Okoboji, Spirit Lake, and Big Spirit Lake. Forecasts for West Okoboji Lake come from the National Weather Service and refresh several times a day.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 12:15 PM CDT) found no active alerts for this lake, but that check is older than LakeRadar's alert freshness window, so the current alert status could not be confirmed.
Confirm before heading out: official alerts for this area or weather.gov/alerts. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
Overall Good (86/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (91/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 89/100 across these hours. Wind 10 mph from the south-southeast. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 68° | 69° | 70° | 72° | 74° | 73° | 70° | 69° | 67° | 67° | 66° | 67° | 68° | 66° | 66° | 66° | 65° | 64° | 65° | 65° | 66° | 70° | 73° | 77° |
| Wind (kts) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Direction | SE | SE | SE | S | S | S | SE | SE | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 33 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 1 PM CDT | 68°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 18 mph | 0% | 27% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 69°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 17 mph | 0% | 30% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 70°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 17 mph | 0% | 13% | Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 72°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 17 mph | 0% | 5% | Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 74°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 16 mph | 1% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 73°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 15 mph | 1% | 0% | Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 70°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 14 mph | 1% | 0% | Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 69°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 15 mph | 1% | 1% | Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 67°F | 15 mph SSE (158°) | 16 mph | 1% | 3% | Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 67°F | 15 mph SSE (158°) | 18 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 66°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 20 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 67°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 68°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 66°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 66°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 66°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 28 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 65°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 6 AM CDT | 64°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Sat, 7 AM CDT | 65°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 30 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Sat, 8 AM CDT | 65°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 31 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Sat, 9 AM CDT | 66°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 33 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Sat, 10 AM CDT | 70°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 35 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Sat, 11 AM CDT | 73°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 | 80°F | 25 mph S (180°) | 39 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
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 | This Afternoon October 9, 2026 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 75° | 63° | 86° | 65° | 84° | 58° | 74° | 50° | 64° | 48° | 63° | 49° | 62° | 45° |
| Wind | SE 10 mph | SSE 10 to 20 mph | S 20 to 25 mph | S 20 to 25 mph | S 15 to 20 mph | WSW 10 to 15 mph | N 10 mph | N 10 to 15 mph | N 10 to 15 mph | NE 10 mph | E 10 to 15 mph | SE 15 mph | WSW 15 to 20 mph | WNW 15 to 25 mph |
| Gusts | 18 mph | 30 mph | 40 mph | 35 mph | 25 mph | 20 mph | 16 mph | 17 mph | 16 mph | 13 mph | 21 mph | 18 mph | 28 mph | 25 mph |
| Precip % | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 9% | 8% | 4% | 27% | 45% | 61% | 61% | 33% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (84/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the southeast. 0% chance of precipitation. 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 (85/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the 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 (91/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the SE 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 (84/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the 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.
Widely appreciated across IA, West Okoboji Lake provides an engaging setting for all styles of freshwater watercraft and shore recreation. Anglers seek out structure-oriented fish, while families and boaters take advantage of designated recreation zones. Be sure to check seasonal gate hours and daily parking pass requirements.
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, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass. 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 West Okoboji 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, 1:24 PM CDT