The daily bag limit is 5. The beauty of Iowa rivers is that there are few issues when it comes to accessibility. During peak years, the stream has held more than 4,000 trout per mile, the highest numbers ever documented in Iowa. Support conservation in Iowa by buying a natural resource plate for your vehicle. The water level at Rock Island is holding steady at 6.3 feet. Fisheries employees are present during office hours to answer your questions pertaining to all of Iowa’s fisheries programs as well as current trout stream conditions. The best bite is a half hour before sunset. Water level at Guttenberg is 6.6 feet. The spring fl ow is what keeps water temperatures cold enough for trout, normally lower Bluegill - Fair: Use a waxworm on a small jig fished in 3-6 feet of water. The water temperature is around 34 degrees and the water clarity is good. sunrise to sunset. Anglers are catching panfish on Martens Lake. The use of full sized vehicles is not recommended. For information on the lakes and rivers in north central Iowa, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517. On days when water temperatures rise you might see midges hatching and fish rising. Submit Online Inquiry Privacy Walleye - Fair: Anglers are picking up some walleye in the north end of the lake. Tailwater walleye fishing is underway but access to the tailwaters is somewhat difficult as ramps are mainly iced in. Learn more about Iowa’s trout streams, including maps, stocking calendar, amenities, regulations and fishing tips on the DNR trout fishing webpage. Keepers 10-12" with lots of sorting. Post your big catches and brags here too. Sorting is needed. Electronics are very helpful in locating suspended crappie. Also expect thinner ice near the spillway and near any inflows. Black Crappie - Fair: Crappie bite has improved in backwater dredge cuts. The water level at the Bellevue Lock and Dam is holding steady and is presently at 7.2 feet. Areas with current can have unsafe ice with fluctuating river levels. Brown Trout - Fair : Use larger flies or lures mimicking minnows. Bussey Lake bite has been fair. Ice is thinner in the inlet bridge bay. Lansing water level 8.3 feet. Conditions are variable so check ice thickness often. Conditions on this body of water are variable so use caution and check ice often. There are reports of open water and thinner areas in the southern part of the lake and along shore in some places. Yellow Perch - Good: Anglers are still picking up decent numbers of perch with minnows and waxworms in 10-20 feet of water. On Jan 20 there was around 6 inches of good ice right off the ramp. Due to inconsistent freezing temperatures lately, many lakes may have irregular ice conditions as well as open holes. The City of Bellevue ramp can be accessed as of Thursday but ice chunks may need to be moved or chipped out of the way. Not very far from the Mississippi River, the Lower Swiss Valley Creek is … Ray Thys of Marion photographs Mike Jacobs of Marion as he battles a smallmouth bass on his fly rod Sunday in an Eastern Iowa stream known as much for its trout as for its bass. This weekend temperatures should begin to drop with highs in the upper teens and low 20s. There are reports of possible open water and thinner ice near the beach at the SW part of the lake. Tailwater fishing is still accessible by both boat ramps in Guttenberg. Launching into the tailwater at Bellevue is possible as of Thursday but ice may need to be chipped or moved to launch. JUNE - Largemouth Bass: Lake Wapello. According to Kalishek, "Waterloo Creek is one of the best brown trout streams in Iowa, with consistent hatches." There have been reports of anglers catching bluegill on South Prairie Lake. Most ice fishing pressure is around the Sabula backwaters. NORTHEAST. Walleye - Fair: Anglers have picked up occasional walleyes with jigging spoons and minnow heads. The Trout River is a small river southeast of Decorah filled with brown, brook and rainbow trout. f: 515-725-8201 2.04   0.97 caww01. U.S. Geological Survey NOTE: Station Numbers for Iowa Ice conditions remain good on most lakes in and around Black Hawk County, averaging 10-12 inches. Anglers need to have a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. There have been reports of anglers catching bluegill on North Prairie Lake. Children age 15 or younger can fish for trout with a properly licensed adult, but they must limit their catch to one daily limit. Experience Iowa's natural beauty and all the fun our state parks offer. Ice conditions vary across the lake with up to 4.5 inches in Anglers Bay and Templar Lagoon. Iowa Great Lakes are fully iced up with conditions ranging from 10-12 inches. Rainbow Trout - Fair: The DNR stocked roughly 1500 rainbow trout on Jan 20. Northern Pike - Good: Some nice pike have been reported this ice fishing season so far with anglers using minnows on tip ups. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will release trout in seven locations across Iowa this winter in ... and safe ice conditions. Search the report by location, specific fish, conditions or by water body. Bluegill - Fair: Lots of small bluegills reported but fishing in general has been fair with most anglers using wax worms and tungsten jigs. Support conservation in Iowa by buying a natural resource plate for your vehicle. Use a variety of methods such as: a small hook with a piece of night crawler or corn fished under a bobber, tube jigs, or a small spinner. Combined walleye/sauger daily limit 6. Low light conditions are more productive. Black Crappie - Good: Crappie bite has improved in backwater dredge cuts. A pond at Big Springs Hatchery, near Elkader, has been specially designated as … Test ice often while going out. Many streams maintain excellent populations of brown trout and stocked catchable-size rainbow trout. Bluegill - Fair: Fish just off of the bottom with an ice jig tipped with a waxworm. Ice thickness on most area lakes has set up well but with the milder winter use extreme caution. Pictures, tips, trip reports, and places to fish for trout in Iowa! Ice has degraded along shore in some areas due to recent precipitation. Black Crappie - Fair: Wax worms and small live minnows have worked well. Yellow Perch - Fair: Look for perch hanging above vegetation from 4 to 12 feet of water with jig and a minnow. Water temperature in the main channel is near freezing and water level is stable to reseeding throughout the district. All walleyes less than 15 inches long and between 20-27 inches must be immediately released. Ice is variable, but the areas with fishing activity have roughly 6-7 inches of ice in most places. You’ll find wide-open casting lanes and plenty of public access. Anglers should use caution on snow covered ice in areas that may have current as conditions can vary. Accessibility Black Crappie - Fair: Try fishing a dead stick with a minnow on one rod and jigging an ice jig tipped with a waxworm or spike. Ice thickness is around eight inches over most of lake. Walleye - Good: Most walleye and sauger angling is now taking place near the lock and dam in 15 to 30 feet of water. Bluegill - Good: Ice anglers are catching bluegill in shallow backwaters using jigs tipped with mousies. Trout are biting on a variety of baits. Call the Manchester Hatchery at 563-927-3276 for more information. Current Conditions for Iowa: Streamflow -- 198 site(s) found. Iowa, plus a few lakes as far south as to where I live. You can check the activity of your favorite lake or stretch of river within each region, including which species are being caught, a rating of the bite (slow, fair, good or excellent), as well as a hot bait or lure pattern. Ice thickness was 8-9 inches in front of the Ice House Point boat ramp. Yellow Perch - Fair: Most have been picked up in the SW portion of the lake in the areas all between Provost Point and Ice House Point in anywhere from 3-7 feet of water. Introducing The Next Generation of USGS Water Data for the Nation, Customize table to display other current-condition parameters, MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT DAM 13 NEAR FULTON, IL, Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at Elkader, IA, Middle Fk Little Maquoketa R nr Rickardsville, IA, North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton, IA, Beaver Slough at 3rd Street at Clinton, IA, Duck Creek at DC Golf Course at Davenport, IA, West Main Drainage Ditch 1 and 2 near Britt, IA, South Fork Iowa River near Blairsburg, IA, South Fork Iowa River NE of New Providence, IA, Iowa River at County Highway E49 near Tama, IA, Iowa River below Coralville Dam nr Coralville, IA, South Branch Ralston Creek at Iowa City, IA, Cedar River at Blairs Ferry Road at Palo, IA, Cedar River at Edgewood Road at Cedar Rapids, IA, Cedar River below Indian Creek at Cedar Rapids, IA, WB Wapsinonoc Cr at College St at West Branch, IA, Hoover Cr at Hoover Nat Hist Site, West Branch, IA, South Skunk River below Squaw Creek near Ames, IA, Pilot Creek at County Hwy P15 near Rolfe, IA, East Fork Des Moines River near Algona, IA, East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA, Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des Moines, IA, Middle Raccoon River Tributary at Carroll, IA, Raccoon River at 63rd Street at Des Moines, IA, Raccoon River at Fleur Drive at Des Moines, IA, Des Moines River blw Raccoon Riv at Des Moines, IA, Rock River below Tom Creek at Rock Rapids, IA, Perry Creek at 38th Street at Sioux City, IA, West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford, IA, Little Sioux River at Correctionville, IA, Main Ditch Number Six at Levee Rd near Hamburg, IA, East Nodaway River at Highway 2 near Clarinda, IA, South Fork Chariton River near Promise City, IA. Trout fishing in SE Minnesota is now closed to angling except in the five cities and three State Parks that have continuous seasons. Mon - Fri, 8:00am - 4:30pm CST Anglers spend roughly $27 per day when they go trout fishing (Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 2006). Most angling activity has been near the Ice House Point boat ramp and near the Gunshot Hill shoreline. Walleye - Slow: The bite has slowed. Waterloo browns are wild, but the upper stretches are supplemented with stocked rainbows and brookies. With no rain in the last week, the streams have cleared nicely. Walleye - Slow: The best bite is the near sunset. Information / Records Requests Field & Stream Magazine February 1984 Wisconsin Trout, Iowa's Winter Fishing Below Dams by Field & Stream magazine | Jan 1, 1984 Single Issue Magazine Possibly up too 1,500 miles of actual trout water because of the occasional high water making it possible for them to move from stream to stream. But if the Iowa trout streams are unable to handle natural reproduction, then unless you stock Iowa trout streams… there won’t be trout. Anglers should use caution on snow covered ice in areas that may have current as conditions can vary. Natural Resource Plates. Fish jigging spoons or jig tipped with a minnow in tailwaters of lock and dams. Trout River Directions: Trout River, Iowa. Iowa’s trout streams are too. The water level is expected to hold steady this week. watch for water temps over 70. again you should be ok. looks like highs around` 80 for the week There have been good reports of anglers catching crappie on Alice Wyth Lake located in George Wyth State Park. URL: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/current?site_tp_cd=ST,LK&PARAmeter_cd=STATION_NM,DATETIME,00065,00060,MEDIAN Northern Pike - Good: Pike are biting on tip-ups baited with a minnow or shiners in shallow backwater lakes. Stream conditions greatly improved from last week. Iowa trout fishing exists mainly because of the Iowa DNR’s continuing stocking efforts. Jig and minnow is commonly used this time of year. Caution: lake aerator is currently in use. Northeast Iowa trout streams have now receded and are once again clear and stable. If you have angling questions please call the Bellevue Fisheries Station at 563-880-8781. Ice conditions are around 12.5 inches. Rainbow trout were stocked on . Call the N.E. Try the rock pile just off the shoreline from Gunshot Hill. Backwater ice varies from 6-8 inches. Great weather and stream conditions have arrived in time for the last weekend in April in southeastern Minnesota. District Office at 563-927-3276. Yellow Perch - Excellent: Anglers are catching perch fishing near vegetation in 2 to 6 feet of water. Ice in the east basin is more variable and may have thinner areas. Access to the tailwater from area ramps is somewhat difficult however with ice reported at most ramp locations. Fishing reports may include information on stream or river flows (and if it is rising or dropping), ice conditions, depths that fish are biting (watch for trends if this changes), or safety issues like if the water suddenly becomes shallow in spots. It is certainly not a new concept. Page Last Modified: 2021-01-26 07:34:11 EST Fish a live chub or shiner just off of the bottom for some great pike action. The majority of these fish range around 14 inches. Lakes in and around the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area are producing catches of both bluegill and crappie. Rainbow Trout, Northeast Streams: Trout regularly stocked in northeast Iowa's trout streams provide reliable fishing each spring. Conditions will deteriorate over the next week. Use your electronics to locate the fish and stay mobile. Anglers need a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. But Iowa is open for trout all year. 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