04/24/2026
April 23 Iowa Fishing Report
Northeast
Decorah Management District
• Contact Person: Caleb Schnitzler - 563-382-8324
Conditions will be more seasonal through the weekend. Daytime temperatures will each into the 60s with overnight lows in the 40s. Area river levels are normalizing and clearing. The amount of rain on Thursday evening may affect water quality. Stocking calendars for the 2026 season are available on the DNR Trout Fishing website. Last updated on 04/23/2026
Allamakee County Trout Streams (Allamakee)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Water levels are elevated, but clear. Third turkey hunting season runs through April 28. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors.
• Brown Trout - Good: Fresh inputs from recent rain events improved the bite. Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with a small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.
Cedar River (above Nashua) (Floyd)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water levels are falling with improved clarity. Use caution boating; submersed hazards may have moved with recent rain.
• Channel Catfish - Good: Use a hook with a dead chub, fresh dead minnow, or stink bait fished on the bottom.
• Smallmouth Bass - Good: Find smallies in off-channel areas. Use a small jig or crankbait fished near the bottom.
• Walleye - Good: Use a jig with a live minnow about a foot off the bottom in an off channel area or back eddy.
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Clayton County Trout Streams (Clayton)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Water levels are elevated, but clear. Third turkey hunting season runs through April 28. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors.
• Brown Trout - Good: Fresh inputs from recent rain events improved the bite. Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with a small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.
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Fayette County Trout Streams (Fayette)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Water levels are elevated, but clear. Third turkey hunting season runs through April 28. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors.
• Brown Trout - Good: Fresh inputs from recent rain events improved the bite. Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with a small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.
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Lake Hendricks (Howard)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water clarity is improving; the water continues to warm.
• Black Crappie - Good: Try a jig head tipped with a minnow or plastic jig fished in deeper water near structure.
• Bluegill - Good: Gills come in shore toward evening to find food near downed logs or trees. Downed logs provide food for aquatic insects and small crustaceans, favorite treats for bluegills, and a safe place to escape predators.
• Largemouth Bass - Good: Find bass prowling the shoreline in the evening looking for unsuspecting prey. Use a spinner or crankbait with a slow retrieve from shore.
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Lake Meyer (Winneshiek)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water clarity is improving with 6 to 8 feet visibility. Best bite is in the morning and evening.
• Black Crappie - Good: Find crappie suspended. Try a small spinner or crankbait with a slow or varied retrieval.
• Bluegill - Good: Gills come in shore toward evening to find food near downed logs or trees. Downed logs provide food for aquatic insects and small crustaceans, favorite treats for bluegills, and a safe place to escape predators.
• Largemouth Bass - Good: With warmer water, bass are actively be looking for prey fish. Use a crankbait or a spinner retrieved slowly.
• Northern Pike - Fair: Pike hang in weedy areas stalking prey. Use a spoon or hair jig to tease this feisty fish.
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Mitchell County Trout Streams (Mitchell)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Water levels are elevated, but clear. Third turkey hunting season runs through April 28. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors.
• Brown Trout - Good: Fresh inputs from recent rain events improved the bite. Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with a small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.
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Turkey River (above Clermont) (Fayette)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water levels are falling with improved clarity. Use caution boating; submersed hazards may have moved with recent rain events.
• Smallmouth Bass - Good: Find smallies in deeper holes near the stream bottom; try to entice them with smaller presentations and a slow retrieve.
• Walleye - Slow: Use a jig with a live minnow about a foot off the bottom in an off channel area or back eddy.
• White Sucker - Excellent: The sucker bite is on with temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. Use a hook or jig tipped with a nightcrawler fished on the bottom.
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Upper Iowa River (above Decorah) (Winneshiek)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water levels are falling. Water clarity is improving as rain events slow. Use caution boating; submersed hazards may have moved with recent high water.
• Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Find smallies in deeper holes near the stream bottom; try to entice them with smaller presentations and a slow retrieve.
• Walleye - Fair: Use a jig with a live minnow about a foot off the bottom in an off channel area or a clear water seam. Try fishing deeper or later in the day on clear days.
• White Sucker - Excellent: The sucker bite is on with water temperatures in the mid-50s. Use a jig tipped with a worm fished on the bottom.
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Volga Lake (Fayette)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Fish activity is improving as the water warms. Try fishing over structure or shallower areas toward evening.
• Black Crappie - Fair: Try a jig head tipped with a minnow or plastic jig from shoreline.
• Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill bite is improving as the water temperature warms. Continue to use small jigs tipped with a waxworm or spike.
• Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are hitting worms or dead chubs fished off bottom.
• Largemouth Bass - Good: Bass are hitting spinner baits near structure about 2 to 3 feet below surface.
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Winneshiek County Trout Streams (Winneshiek)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Water levels are elevated, but clear. Third turkey hunting season runs through April 28. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors.
• Brook Trout - Slow: Skinny water with dense beds of aquatic vegetation to hide in is a brook trout's favorite hangout. In tight runs around rocks, currents can pull your line and make your fly look unnatural. Use a reach cast to lay the line across the current to get a few extra seconds of drift.
• Brown Trout - Good: Fresh inputs from recent rain events improved the bite. Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.ceholder text.
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Manchester Management District
• Contact Person: Dan Kirby - 563-927-3276
The Interior rivers are falling and starting to clear. Anglers are catching walleye and smallmouth bass on the Cedar River. Trout streams in Clayton, Delaware and Dubuque counties are in excellent condition; good reports on trout fishing. Contact your local area bait and tackle shops for the most up-to-date reports. Last updated on 04/22/2026
Bankston Creek (Dubuque)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Anglers are catching rainbow trout.
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Big Mill Creek (Jackson)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Anglers are catching both rainbow and brown trout.
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Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City) (Black Hawk)
• Water Temperature (°F): 52.0
• Ramp Condition: Useable
The Cedar River is currently falling. Anglers are catching walleye, smallmouth bass and an occasional northern pike.
• Black Crappie - Good: Try locating structure above impounded dams using electronics to find fish. Use a live minnow under a slip bobber or jigging flashy hair jigs or tube jigs.
• Channel Catfish - Status Unsure
• Northern Pike - Fair: Cast and retrieve flashy spoons or try a live chub or shiner under a bobber near slack water areas.
• Smallmouth Bass - Good: Cast and retrieve jigs with plastics tipped with or without a live minnow.
• Walleye - Good: Cast and retrieve jigs with plastics tipped with or without a live minnow. Present a slower retrieve with the cooler water temperatures if you are casting crankbaits.
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Dalton Pond (Jackson)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Trout stocking scheduled for April 2026 at Dalton Pond has been canceled. A bridge used to access the trout fishing destination is closed due to structural deterioration. The Iowa DNR is gathering cost estimates and preliminary plans to determine next steps at Dalton Pond. Local media outlets and this weekly report will be updated with developments. Dalton Pond is currently accessible only as a walk-in fishery.
• Rainbow Trout - Fair
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Delaware County Trout Streams (Delaware)
• Water Temperature (°F): 55.0
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Trout streams in Delaware County are in excellent condition. A recent sample on Spring Branch Creek showed good numbers of quality sized brown trout at the fish hatchery. There have been good reports at Richmond Springs within Backbone Park as well.
• Brown Trout - Good: Try matching the hatch with the recent onset of warmer weather. Spin cast fishing has been good with casting little crankbaits as well.
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Dubuque County Trout Streams (Dubuque)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Trout streams in Dubuque County are in excellent condition. Catfish Creek within the upper end of Swiss Valley Park is a very popular area for both rainbow and brown trout.
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Heritage Pond (Dubuque)
• Water Temperature (°F): 52.0
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
North Prairie Lake will be stocked with rainbow trout this Saturday, April 25th.
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Jackson County Trout Streams (Jackson)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Trout streams in Jackson County are in excellent condition.
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Maquoketa River (above Monticello) (Delaware)
• Water Temperature (°F): 55.0
• Ramp Condition: Useable
The Maquoketa River is falling; no fishing reports this past week.
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North Prairie Lake (Black Hawk)
• Water Temperature (°F): 52.0
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
North Prairie Lake will be stocked with rainbow trout this Saturday, April 25th.
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Richmond Springs (Delaware)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Anglers are catching trout at Richmond Springs in Backbone State Park.
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Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock) (Butler)
• Water Temperature (°F): 50.0
• Ramp Condition: Useable
No fishing reports this past week on the Shell Rock River.
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Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills) (Buchanan)
• Water Temperature (°F): 50.0
• Ramp Condition: Useable
The Wapsipinicon River is starting to fall, but still remains turbid. No fishing reports this past week.
