Updated August 2026
Wakesurfing in Iowa
- 26 rated lakes
- 2 Excellent
Iowa wake-sport rules
Iowa has no statewide wakesurfing-specific law; the absence of state standards has led many municipalities to adopt their own local restrictions. General rules cap motorboats at 10 mph within 300 feet of shore on inland lakes and federal impoundments, and local authorities set no-wake zones. Wake-surf rules are local/jurisdiction-specific.
Rated lakes
| Lake | Suitability | Max depth | Surface area | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathbun Lake · Appanoose County | Excellent | — | 11,013 ac | No |
| West Okoboji Lake | Excellent | — | 3,847 ac | — |
| Lake Macbride · Johnson County | Good | — | 950 ac | No |
| Big Creek Lake · Polk County | Fair | — | 885 ac | No |
| Brushy Creek Lake · Webster County | Fair | — | 690 ac | No |
| Green Valley Lake · Union County | Fair | — | 336 ac | No |
| Lake Darling Max Depth · Washington County | Fair | — | 304 ac | No |
| Lake Icaria · Adams County | Fair | — | 700 ac | No |
| Lake of the Hills · Scott County | Fair | — | 657 ac | No |
| Lake Sugema · Van Buren County | Fair | — | 574 ac | No |
| Little River Lake · Decatur County | Fair | — | 787 ac | No |
| Lost Grove Lake · Scott County | Fair | — | 350 ac | No |
| Pleasant Creek Lake · Linn County | Fair | — | 410 ac | No |
| Rock Creek Beach Lake · Jasper County | Fair | — | 640 ac | No |
| Rock Creek Max Depth Lake · Jasper County | Fair | — | 640 ac | No |
| Three Mile Lake · Union County | Fair | — | 880 ac | No |
| Twelve Mile Lake · Union County | Fair | — | 633 ac | No |
| West Lake Osceola · Clarke County | Fair | — | 306 ac | No |
| Badger Creek Max Depth Lake · Madison County | Limited | — | 276 ac | No |
| Center Lake · Dickinson County | Limited | — | 287 ac | No |
| Dale Maffitt Reservoir · Dallas County | Limited | — | 230 ac | No |
| Easter Lake · Polk County | Limited | — | 218 ac | No |
| Lake Belva Deer · Keokuk County | Limited | — | 247 ac | No |
| Prairie Rose Lake · Shelby County | Limited | — | 200 ac | No |
| Roberts Creek Lake · Marion County | Limited | — | 296 ac | No |
| Summit Lake · Union County | Limited | — | 202 ac | No |
Also in Iowa
4 more Iowa water bodies appear in the wakesurf inventory but are not yet in the LakeQuality lake dataset, so they have no detail page. They are listed here for completeness and are queued for the next data pull.
- Lake Okoboji (west Okoboji)
- Rkcrk 4 Lake · Jasper County
- Rkcrk 5 Lake · Jasper County
- Saylorville Lake
Where to stay near Iowa lakes
Top-rated places to stay near Iowa lakes
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