Saylorville Lake

At a glance

Visual character

“Large Corps lake north of Des Moines on the Des Moines River; prairie pothole landscape; Saylorville Dam; production-friendly proximity to Iowa's growing film market”

About

Saylorville Lake sits just 10 miles north of Des Moines on the Des Moines River — a large Corps of Engineers reservoir that brings surprising natural beauty to Iowa's prairie agricultural landscape. The Rock Island District manages commercial filming permits. Iowa's Film Office offers incentives for qualifying productions, and Des Moines' growing creative economy means improved local crew and equipment access. The surrounding landscape is quintessentially Iowa: agricultural fields, prairie remnants, river bluffs, and the spectacular Loess Hills — an unusual wind-deposited soil formation — visible to the west. The dam and spillway provide industrial architectural drama. Big Creek Lake, a state recreation area adjacent to Saylorville, expands the available water and woodland terrain. Strong for productions seeking authentic Iowa agricultural landscape with water, from family dramas to nature documentaries to heartland Americana content. Accessible year-round from an urban base.

Where you'll be