| Lakes in the Mount Ayr district are 100% ice free. Water temperature is in the low 40's. For more information, please contact the Mount Ayr Fisheries office at 641-931-6031. |
| Channel Catfish - Fair: Try using cut bait fished along windblown shorelines for Channel Catfish of all sizes. |
Spring electrofishing indicated a low numbers of Largemouth Bass up to 18 inches. Moderate numbers of Bluegill up to 8 inches are also available to anglers. Blue Catfish in the 14-18 inch length range are available to anglers.(2024)
In nearly all cases, Iowa fish are safe to eat. Cleaning and/or preparing the meal causes most of the problems regarding taste or color of fish. Like all living creatures, fish are susceptible to diseases, parasites, and other naturally occurring conditions in the water. If you suspect your fish is affected by any of these conditions, do not eat it. Consider eating smaller and younger fish which usually have lower levels of contaminants than larger ones. Most contaminants accumulate in larger, older fish. For additional information, check out our resources for eating and cooking Iowa caught fish.
To learn more about fish tissue monitoring, visit our Fish Tissue Monitoring page .