1939 fishing frenzy launches Red Haw Lake angling

The view in 1959 across the Red Haw State Park swimming beach toward Lake Ellis in the distance.

Thermometers across Lucas County were pushing upward toward the 100-degree mark on Tuesday, July 11, 1939, when subscribers unfolded their Chariton Leaders and read the banner headline, "Open Season for Fisherman at Red Haw." Good news indeed during that long hot summer. 

It was 100 degrees in the shade on both the Wednesday and Thursday following, but by dawn Saturday, when the Red Haw Hill State Park gates were thrown open and the hundreds of automobiles lined up along U.S. 34 awaiting entrance poured in, the air had cooled --- although not the ardor of an estimated 2,000 anglers who lined the Red Haw lake shoreline that day to go fishing there for the first time.

Development of Red Haw Hill State Park (the "hill" part of the original name has long since fallen away) had commenced in 1934 and the resulting lake had been stocked by Iowa's Department of Natural Resources. By early summer 1939 the commission had decided that the fish population had reached sustainability and it was time for fishing to begin.

The 1949 view northwest across the entrance road toward Chariton from the Red Haw State Park shoreline.

The season, which opened at 5 a.m. on July 15, would continue until Nov. 30. Hours would be 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, a license (available from the county recorder) was required and the same limits in effect at Lake Wapello in Davis county were applied to Red Haw: Maximum daily catch of 12 fish no more than five of which could be black bass and seven of which, crappies.

Here's the report of weekend goings on at the lake --- most likely the biggest fishing event that ever occurred in Lucas County --- as published in The Chariton Leader of Tuesday, July 18:

4,500 Try Luck at Red Haw Lake Saturday and Sunday

Many Fishermen Catch Limits, Others Let Some Get Away

Approximately 1,000 anglers were at Red Haw Lake when the fishing season opened Saturday morning.

There were about 200 cars lined up along both sides of Highway 34 west of the state park entrance when highway patrolmen and game wardens threw down the barriers at 5 a.m. There were additional fishermen afoot, while others parked their cars east of the lake.

It was estimated that 2,000 persons cast lines into the 72-acre artificial lake before the first day of fishing came to a close at 10:30 p.m.

The first-day crowd, which included scores of women, had good luck. Several took the limit of bass, some of which weighed three pounds or more. First to do this was Tom Plows of Chariton, who was back home by 6 a.m. with his quota.

Scores of bullheads measuring eight to 12 inches in length were taken. The crappies were comparatively small, and some sportsmen were heckled in their search for big ones by the nibbling of little sunfish.

W. R. Temple, of Osceola, who has been named custodian of Red Haw State Park, announced today that future violations of parking restrictions at the park would result in prosecution. After approximately 70 drivers had been warned Saturday and Sunday, Temple was forced, along with Game Warden Youngblood of Osceola, to arrest nine drivers Monday.

Temple and Youngblood stated, however, that insofar as the fishing was concerned, it was one of the most orderly crowds in the history of such events. No one was found without a license and no one was apprehended with more than the legal quota or size of fish.

Although the vast majority of cars at the lake during the first three days were from Lucas County, license plates showed that many anglers from 30 to 100 miles away were also present. Fishing Sunday on the lake was hindered by the high wind although the crowd surpassed that of Saturday. Many fishermen were at the lake Monday also.

The game warden estimated that 8,500 fish were taken the first three days and said that one record was established when approximately 250 bass weighing 1-1/2 to 4-1/2 pounds were taken from a state lake on one day.

Notes of an Isaac Walton at Red Haw Opening

Outside of trouble with people who wanted to drive all over the place, the day was right tranquil for game wardens. Not a single person was found abusing the fishing laws. That speaks pretty well for Lucas County anglers.

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Just a tip for those who might think they can catch a dozen fish and run into town, leave them and come back for more. Game wardens through years of training and experience have a wonderful memory of how many fish you had the last time they saw you. Perhaps it's just as well we are true sportsmen in this county. Those boys in the khaki suits make you that way whether or no.

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Ron Levis, one of the dyed-in-the-wool anglers, can really tell you about the ones that got away. His string of five nice bullheads acquired Saturday morning got loose and so far as he knows are still wiggling around in the lake.

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An ominous looking cloud that looked like it might have a lot of water in it piled up in the east about 5:30 but no one started to leave. It didn't materialize.

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There have been few times in the history of Chariton when more people were driving around at 4:30 in the morning. I can understand the reason --- and it isn't fish I'm referring to. I'm now an authority on how to bait a hook with both eyes still shut.

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Bill Egebretsen remarked when the cars were lined up at the gate waiting until 5 o'clock that it resembled the rush at the Cherokee strip. He wasn't far wrong as good spots on the bank were scarce 15 minutes after five.

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Old and young were there. Joyce Klepinger's small son, Adrian, got more excited over a small crappie that some of the oldsters did over a 3 pound bass. They were all fish to him.

The stone shelter at Red Haw State Park as it looked in 1949.