The Waukee Brief
You don't have to haul out to a reservoir to wet a line around here. Waukee keeps a handful of city ponds open for fishing, and the standout sits right inside the Triumph Park sports complex: an 11-acre pond with an accessible pier, stocked with bluegill, catfish and bass, plus trout in the cooler months. Here is where to go, what you'll catch, and the license basics before you head out.
Waukee lets you fish, sunrise to sunset, on three city-owned ponds: the Triumph Park pond, the Kettlestone ponds and Tallgrass Pond. The go-to is the Triumph Park pond - 11 acres with an ADA-accessible pier, stocked with bluegill, channel catfish and largemouth bass, plus rainbow trout the Iowa DNR adds in spring and fall. Anyone 16+ needs an Iowa fishing license; add a trout fee to keep trout.
The best fishing water in town is the pond at Triumph Park, the city's 66-acre sports complex at 700 NW Douglas Parkway. It's an 11-acre pond with an ADA-accessible fishing pier, stocked with bluegill, channel catfish and largemouth bass - an easy, kid-friendly place to fish from shore without a boat. Importantly, Waukee only allows fishing on its city-owned Triumph Park, Kettlestone and Tallgrass ponds, from sunrise to sunset. Other neighborhood stormwater ponds are not open to fishing.
Beyond Triumph Park, two more city ponds are open for a cast:
The Kettlestone ponds, in the fast-growing Kettlestone district on the west side, are stocked through the Iowa DNR's Fish Local urban-pond program. Tallgrass Pond rounds out the trio. All three follow the same rule: fishing is allowed sunrise to sunset, and only on these city-owned ponds. Full context is on our Waukee outdoors guide.
The Iowa DNR stocks rainbow trout in the Triumph Park pond in the cooler months of spring and fall - a fun outing when the bass slow down. Waukee even runs a fall "Trick or Trout" trout day at the park. Stocking dates move year to year, so check the Iowa DNR trout fishing pages and the City of Waukee events calendar before you go.
Anglers 16 and older need an Iowa fishing license (kids under 16 fish free), sold through the Iowa DNR - online, on the app, or at license agents around the metro. To keep trout, add a trout fee to your license. Always check current size and creel limits on the DNR site, since they can change by water body and season.
Waukee's ponds are pond-sized on purpose - close, calm and shore-friendly. For a real lake, Blue Heron Lake at Raccoon River Park in West Des Moines is a short drive southeast, with more open water for bass, panfish and catfish.
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Waukee allows fishing from sunrise to sunset on three city-owned ponds: the Triumph Park pond, the Kettlestone ponds and Tallgrass Pond. The go-to spot is the Triumph Park pond, an 11-acre pond at 700 NW Douglas Parkway with an accessible fishing pier, stocked with bluegill, channel catfish and largemouth bass. Fishing is not allowed on other city ponds.
The Triumph Park pond is stocked with bluegill, channel catfish and largemouth bass, plus rainbow trout that the Iowa DNR stocks in the cooler months of spring and fall. The Kettlestone ponds are stocked through the Iowa DNR's Fish Local urban-pond program. Panfish, bass and catfish are the everyday catch.
Yes. The Triumph Park pond is Waukee's best fishing water - an 11-acre city pond with an ADA-accessible fishing pier, open for fishing from sunrise to sunset. It is stocked with bluegill, channel catfish and largemouth bass, and the Iowa DNR adds rainbow trout in spring and fall. Waukee runs a Trick or Trout trout day at the park in the fall.
Yes. Everyone age 16 and older needs a valid Iowa fishing license, sold by the Iowa DNR online, on the app or at license agents. To keep trout you also need a trout fee added to your license. Kids under 16 can fish without a license.
The Triumph Park pond has an ADA-accessible fishing pier and shoreline access close to parking, making it the easiest local spot for kids or anyone who wants to fish without a boat. For bigger water, Blue Heron Lake at Raccoon River Park in West Des Moines is a short drive away.
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