True stories (and tall tales!) from thousands of years of Okoboji fishing.

episode summary

episode summary

tales
from the
iowa great
lakes

We got hooked on the research for this episode when we started looking through photos. We hope you will, too!

Let's start at the top: the first two photos are of Crandall's Lodge and The Orleans Hotel, major resorts for anglers. You can see that the fish hatchery is incredibly close to The Orleans Hotel, owned by the Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Northern Railroad. Interesting, huh? That's all for another episode...

The Fish and Game Warden train photos are fascinating because they have that signature Progressive Era design. They look like they're ice cream cars, not fish cars.

It's a testament to the fishing industry's immense scale in Okoboji. Clearly, it employed a lot of people, and there were plenty of fish to ship across the country.

And, of course, there are the famous paddlefish photos. Can you imagine swimming around West Lake knowing those "freshwater whales" are just below your feet?

Well, they're very slow-moving and mostly eat plankton, so there's nothing to fear. But the photos are fascinating because people seemed to be snagging them all year round.

The final few photos are contemporary snapshots of The Fish Hatchery, a place that should be on every fishing enthusiast's summer bucket list. It's an incredible opportunity to get up close and personal with the world of fish.

We're incredibly grateful to The Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery for sharing photos from their archives. The postcards are courtesy of Charlene Thomson. And remember to email us your Okoboji fishing stories at hello@okobojiproject.com!

episode info

We got hooked on the research for this episode when we started looking through photos. We hope you will, too!

Let's start at the top: the first two photos are of Crandall's Lodge and The Orleans Hotel, major resorts for anglers. You can see that the fish hatchery is incredibly close to The Orleans Hotel, owned by the Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Northern Railroad. Suspicious, huh? That's for another episode...

The Fish and Game Warden train photos are fascinating because they have that signature Progressive Era design. They look more like ice cream cars, not fish cars.

It's a testament to the fishing industry's immense scale in Okoboji. Clearly, it employed a lot of people, and there were plenty of fish to ship across the country.

And, of course, there are the famous paddlefish photos. Can you imagine swimming around West Lake knowing those "freshwater whales" are just below your feet?

Well, they're very slow-moving and mostly eat plankton, so there's nothing to fear. But the photos are fascinating because people seemed to be snagging them all year round.

The final few photos are contemporary snapshots of The Fish Hatchery, a place that should be on every fishing enthusiast's summer bucket list. It's an incredible opportunity to get up close and personal with the world of fish.

We're incredibly grateful to The Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery for sharing photos from their archives. The postcards are courtesy of Charlene Thomson. And remember to email us your Okoboji fishing stories at hello@okobojiproject.com.

episode info

episode info

episode source material

episode source material

Keep Exploring

Keep exploring

  • Register for Walleye Weekend
  • Watch this video from KTIV about Walleye Weekend 2024
  • "Oasis on the Plains: Year-Round Fishing at Iowa's Great Lakes" by M.D. Johnson in Game and Fish Magazine (featuring John Grovesnor!)
  • “A Historical Look at Iowa Great Lakes’ Walleye Opener and Previewing the 41st Walleye Weekend” by Steve Weisman in Outdoor Magazine
  • "Fishing at the Iowa Great Lakes: 'This lake is so full of fish, it's crazy'" by Mason Dockter in The Sioux City Journal
  • Watch a video of an unlikely Okoboji catch in "Not Just Another Fish Story" on WHO13 Des Moines (featuring John Grovesnor!)
  • Learn more about paddlefish in this video by The Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee