When submitting eBird observations for Coralville Lake, it is most helpful to start a new checklist for each hotspot within the area. Use this hotspot for checklists of birds when you have a checklist that includes multiple locations, or if there is no other hotspot or personal location appropriate for your sightings.

Important Bird Area.
The Coralville Lake is a multiuse Flood Control reservoir above the Coralville Dam in North Liberty. Pool size is listed at 5280 acres, but water levels and pool size vary greatly depending on the Corps’ plan and the vagaries of Mother Nature. In 1993 and 2008 water was backed up 20+ miles, nearly to the Amanas. About a 1/3 of the way through its length, Lake MacBride flows into the Coralville Lake. Beyond 965 the area of the Coralville Lake becomes Hawkeye WMA and is managed & owned by the DNR.

The dam is located 4 miles N of Iowa City. There are numerous points of access to view the water, or to bird the woods around the reservoir.

Lake and surrounding forest. For much of the its length, the Coralville Lake is narrow, <0.3 mile, compared to the ~ a mile at Saylorville and Red Rock. the 2 widest places are just N of the Mehaffey Bridge and in the Scales Point-Sandy Beach-Hoosier Creek area.

This area has a large concentration of waterfowl and pelicans during migration. When water levels are right, large concentrations of shorebirds are found here during migration. The woodlands in the area produce significant numbers of migrating songbirds. Bald Eagle and Double-crested Cormorants nest in the area. There are large numbers of raptors in the area, some during migration and following the shorebirds, some nesting, and some wintering, such as Long and Short-eared Owls, Northern Harrier, and Rough-legged Hawk. There are heron rookeries, and large numbers of wading birds use the area during post breeding dispersal. The number of rare birds that have been found here over the years is quite large.

From highway 965 one and three-quarters miles north of North Liberty, go west on the Swan Lake Road to areas on the south side of Hawkeye WA. To reach areas on the north side, go west from highway 965 on the first road north of the reservoir (Amana Road).