A Unique Angling Challenge Around Every Bend

You are never far from one of Iowa’s many rivers. Fall is a great time to give them a try.

Small “up-river” segments of interior rivers can be fantastic for walleye and smallmouth bass in early fall. Use crankbaits and spinners to catch smallmouth bass and crankbaits or jigs with crawlers for walleye.

Try the upper Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan and Linn counties) or upper Cedar River (Black Hawk and Bremer counties) for smallmouth bass. The Shell Rock River (Butler and Bremer counties) or upper Cedar Rivers (Black Hawk or Bremer Counties) are a great choice for walleye.

The Missouri and Mississippi rivers boast some of the best flathead catfishing in the Midwest. The Missouri River’s swift current, rocks and snags are good habitat and food is abundant for these predatory catfish. Use live fish as bait; green sunfish and bullheads tend to survive best on the hook.

Several state record fish have been caught on the Missouri River, including the blue catfish (101 pounds) and channel catfish (38 pounds 2 ounces).

Enjoy Iowa’s natural landscapes fishing Iowa’s rivers and streams this fall. An extensive list of Iowa’s rivers, with information on access points and native species, is available on the DNR website. Check conditions before you go with the weekly Iowa Fishing Report.

Summer Tips to Land Iowa's Big Fish

The key to catching big fish is finding places that have big fish. Quickly find the best spots to catch master angler qualifying size fish with the electronic map recently added to DNR Master Angler program website (click on "Map" above the photos) or search for local hotspots by species or location.

Try these simple tips from DNR fisheries biologists to catch large bluegill, bass and crappie during the summer heat at one of these top locations identified through a search on the Master Angler webpage.

Bluegills (10 inches to qualify)

• Farm Ponds – look for ponds surrounded by grass; fish the face of the dam or steep shorelines where the weed line is close to shore; drift or cast small jigs (1/32nd oz.) tipped with a 1-inch piece of worm 6 to 8 feet down; get permission from the landowner before entering.
• West Okoboji Lake, Dickinson County – fish the rock reefs or rocky humps in 20-25 feet of water; jig live bait (small crayfish, Belgium worms, piece of night crawler or leech) with a split shot 8-10 inches above the hook.  
• Big Spirit Lake, Dickinson County – try the outside weed lines and rock piles, drops offs or natural underwater reefs.  
• Twelve Mile Creek Lake, Union County – fish the rock piles or cedar tree brush piles along the roadbed; try also along the weed line.
• East Okoboji Lake, Dickinson County – try the outside weed lines and rock piles, drops offs or natural underwater reefs.    

Largemouth Bass (20 inches to qualify)

• Farm Ponds – use top water lures at the edge of aquatic plants early and late in the day when the air is still; switch to a spinner bait or plastic worm later in the morning or late afternoon next to the weed line or around brush piles; get permission from the landowner before entering.
• West Okoboji Lake, Dickinson County – cast topwater lures, plastic worms, suspended jerk baits, deep diving crank baits or spinner baits near shore or edges of weed lines.
• Big Creek Lake, Polk County – cast topwater lures, plastic worms, suspended jerk baits, deep diving crank baits or spinner baits near shore or edges of weed lines.         
• Lake Anita, Cass County – cast topwater lures, plastic worms, suspended jerk baits, deep diving crank baits or spinner baits near shore or edges of weed lines.
• Badger Creek Lake, Madison County – fish the cedar tree brush piles near the fishing jetties or along the dam. 

Black Crappie (14 inches to qualify)

• Farm Ponds – look for ponds with standing timber or brush piles; fish close to the brush with a minnow under a bobber or cast 1/32nd ounce jigs; get permission from the landowner before entering. 
• Coralville Reservoir, Johnson County –  look for fish suspended on deeper rocks banks  in 8-10 feet of water in the main reservoir; cast larger chartreuse twister tails  and slowly drop down the bank.
• Red Rock Reservoir, Marion County – focus on the Whitebreast arm of the lake or areas with rock (and rip-rap); keep moving along the shoreline until you find fish. 
• Crawford Creek Impoundment, Ida County – drift fish 1/16 ounce chartreuse jigs tipped with a small minnow; try also fishing around the brush piles.
• Lake Macbride, Johnson County – vertical jig a tube jig on the deep side of brush piles right above the thermocline (12 feet); work the outside or deeper end of the brush piles. 

White Crappie (14 inches to qualify)

• Farm Ponds – look for ponds with standing timber or brush piles; fish close to the brush with a minnow under a bobber or cast 1/32nd ounce jigs; get permission from the landowner before entering.
• Red Rock Reservoir, Marion County – focus on the Whitebreast arm of the lake or areas with rock (and rip-rap); keep moving along the shoreline until you find fish.  
• Saylorville Reservoir, Polk County –focus on areas where the shoreline is protected with rip-rap.  
• Lake Macbride, Johnson County – vertical jig a tube jig on the deep side of  brush piles right above the thermocline (12 feet); work the outside or deeper end of the brush piles.
• Coralville Reservoir, Johnson County  – look for fish suspended on deeper rocks banks  in 8-10 feet of water in the main reservoir; cast chartreuse twister tails and slowly drop down the bank.

For information on how to submit a Master Angler entry including a list of the 41 fish species eligible and minimum lengths, visit the Master Angler website.

Come Fish with Us at the Iowa State Fair

Stop by the Iowa DNR building to see the Iowa fish in the historic aquarium. Built in 1921, the wrap-around aquarium is the focal point of the pavilion, filled with Iowa fish of all shapes, sizes and species.

Learn the basics of fishing at these fun presentations (the whole courtyard schedule is available at iowadnr.gov/IowaStateFair):

Saturday, August 13
Fishing Day in the courtyard begins with a question and answer session with Fisheries Bureau Chief Joe Larscheid, followed by an instructional presentation for kids who want to learn to fish. In the afternoon, you can get the scoop on primitive fish or get a close up look at real Iowa turtles.


Friday, August 19
The art of fishing is as intricate it is enticing, so come by on Friday for a second helping of fishing guidance and encouragement. Fisheries Bureau Chief Joe Larscheid returns for another discussion in the morning, and be sure to check out the live turtles native to Iowa in the afternoon. Kids are encouraged to join us at 11 a.m. for more fishing basics.

Hooking Summer Catfish

Start a new family tradition this summer – go fishing for catfish. Bring along two coolers with ice, one to keep your bait firm and fresh and another to keep your catch cold and preserve that great taste.

Catfish tend to be more active in warmer weather. They are in every stream of any size and in all lakes and many farm ponds.

A catfish’s sense of smell and taste is tremendous. Try prepared dip baits, chicken livers, minnows or chubs, green sunfish, bluegill, crawdads, frogs, night crawlers or dead, but fresh, gizzard shad.

Lakes stratify, or form layers, this time of year, with cool, oxygen-deprived waters sinking to the bottom. Do not fish in water deeper than 8 to 10 feet. Look for areas with vegetation, brush piles or rock. Fish the upper ends of the larger reservoirs where the water is shallower and baitfish like gizzard shad gather. Fish baits on the bottom or suspended off the bottom with a bobber and let current or breeze move the bait to find active catfish.

Rivers in Iowa are loaded with catfish. Look for fish around downed trees and brush piles, but don’t overlook rock piles or other objects that deflect water and form a current seam. Position your bait just upstream of brush piles so the scent of the bait is carried downstream into the structure drawing the catfish out. Use a heavy weight to anchor the bait so it doesn’t drift into snags. If fishing the big rivers, try upstream and on the tips of wing dykes and wing dams on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

 Find more tips for catching catfish on the DNR website.