Iowa Outdoor Expo for Kids and Families

September 24th & 25th

Saturday: 9am - 6pm & Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Des Moines Izaak Walton League and Water Works Park
4343 George Flagg Parkway, Des Moines

Celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day by bringing the entire family out for a fun weekend discovering new and exciting ways to enjoy Iowa's outdoors. 

With over 50 free hands-on activities and daily family presentations, visitor's are able to learn, observe and experience recreation opportunities in the great outdoors. Instructors will be on hand to teach the activities, offer guidance and tips for them to enjoy the activity when they are on their own.

Hands-on activities include, but are not limited to:

• Fishing- Reel Fishing, Bow Fishing, Casting games, Fish ID tank, Fish Printing, Fish Cleaning & Cooking
• Water Sports- Canoeing, Kayaking, Paddleboarding, Life Jacket Safety, Knot Tying
• Kid's Corner- Fossil & Treasure Dig, Live Animals, Minnow Races, Build a Bird Feeder, Fish Cleaning
• Camping- Tent Demonstrations, Dutch Oven and Game Cooking
• Buckskinners Encampment- Traditional encampment, Blacksmith Shop, Tomahawk Range, Atl Atl
• Archery- Beginners Foam Range, Traditional Range (9 and over), 3D Range, Aerial Range, Tree Stand Safety
• Shooting Sports- Trap Shooting (height requirement), Sling Shot, BB Gun Range, Air Gun Range
• Wildlife & Hunting- Furharvesting and Trapping in Iowa, Waterfowl Hunting, Turn In Poachers (TIP), Wild Game Care/Food Safety, Turkey Hunting
• Conservation- Urban Garden Program, Polk County Soil & Water Conservation, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Sierra Club, Urban Pollinator Program, Outdoor Health
• Raptor Release- SOAR (release times available at the Registration Tent)
• Live Game Field Dressing- Milo Locker

The Iowa Outdoor Expo is sponsored by the Izaak Walton League, Polk County Conservation, Des Moines Parks and Recreation, the U.S. Sportsman’s Alliance Foundation, SOAR Saving Our Avian Resources, Weatherby Foundation International, Friends of NRA, MidIowa Bassmasters, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Theisens Home-Farm-Auto, Milo Locker, Shallow Water Investigators Bowfishing, Northern Lights Pizza, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and many more. 

Fall Fishing Hotspots

Fall fishing is one of Iowa's best kept secrets. The air is cool, the views are picturesque and the fish are pulling out of their late summer slumber.

Add one of these destinations to your fall fishing itinerary.

• Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County - yellow bass fishing is excellent in the fall. Use small jigs tipped with nightcrawler, minnows and cut bait. Stay on the move to find schools of fish. The average size yellow bass is 9 inches. A number of Master Angler qualifying yellow bass (10 inches) are available to catch this fall.
• Coralville Reservoir, Johnson County – fall bite is best for walleyes and white bass here; throw crankbaits on sloping rock banks. Catch crappies near brush or steeper rock banks on jigs or minnows.
• Don Williams Lake, Boone County - a strong black crappie population welcomes anglers.  Drift the middle of the lake with small jigs in early fall. Fish will move to structure in late fall – quickly locate structure in the lake with the printable fishing structures map.
• Lake Anita, Cass County, and Viking Lake, Montgomery County - try around the numerous brush piles for largemouth bass over 20 inches. Fishing will heat up as the water temperature drops this fall.
• Lake Iowa, Iowa County – try small jigs or worms around brush piles or along weed edges to catch bluegills up to 9 inches and redear sunfish up to 12 inches. Catch 9-11 inch black crappies around brush on jigs or minnows.
• Lake Macbride, Johnson County - catch 13-20 inch walleyes, with much larger fish available; troll crankbaits or cast jigs to rock reefs and humps in 8-15 feet of water.  Cast jigs or minnows around/over the brush piles for 10-12 inch crappies. Wiper fishing picks up in the fall; try crankbaits and swim baits fished off points and rock reef edges for 14-28 inch wipers with 3-6 pounders being an average fish.
• Lake Manawa, Pottawattamie County - a fall trip has the potential to put a trophy walleye or wiper on the line.  Use twister tails or shad raps on the rocks lining the west shore of the lake for walleyes.  Wipers tend to hang out on the north shore near the inlet.
• Mississippi River  - fall smallmouth bass fishing can be fantastic. Cast close to rock piles or rocky shoreline with current; smallmouths often hide in rock crevices and rarely venture more than a foot from the rocks to feed.  Locate where tributary streams enter the Mississippi River with electronic printable river maps. Find rock lines and piles near the confluence of these rivers starting in late September, early October for a hot bite.   
• Urban Trout Lakes  - unique trout fishing opportunities for novice and young anglers across the state.  Visit iowadnr.gov/ trout for a list of urban trout lakes and when each will be stocked. Watch the fish being stocked and attempt to catch your first trout.

Find a new favorite fishing spot with the interactive Fishing Atlas. A complete list of places to fall fish in Iowa including lake maps, directions and amenities, is available on the DNR Places to Fish webpage. Check conditions before you go with the weekly Iowa Fishing Report.

 

4 Lures That Walleye Can’t Resist

Elusive and defiant, the walleye has duped even the most determined fanatics for decades. Struggle no more to wrangle in these clever beasts with a few surefire methods.

Leadhead jig
Tip a leadhead jig with a minnow for an excellent spring and fall walleye bait. Depending on the depth of the water you’re fishing, try 1/16 to quarter-ounce jigs with a soft plastic swim bait body in white or shad color. They can be highly effective by vertically jigging or cast them with a slow retrieve.

Slip bobber                     
If you’re anchored, consider a slip bobber rig. Since slip bobbers are intended to be fished with live bait, bait your hook with leeches, minnows or night crawlers.

Bottom Bouncer/spinner rig
To fish off the bottom, you’ll need a weight to get bait to the bottom. This bottom bouncer can be rigged with a chartreuse or red spinner rig in front of live bait. Especially during spring and summer, finish baiting the rig with night crawlers, leeches or minnows.

Minnow-imitating crank bait
There are many varieties to choose from, but the crowd favorite when it comes to crank baits is minnow-shaped. Either troll or cast the minnow-imitating crank bait when you’re stationary, and you’re more likely to have success in warmer water.

Be sure to get the crank baits needed for the depth you want to fish – check the box to see the depth at which the lure runs. Also, make sure the crank bait runs straight. It should not pull to either side, or worse yet, twist in the water. Crank baits that do this are ineffective.

Find more tips for catching walleye on the DNR website.