Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - Pool 11, Mississippi River

Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs DNR Homepage

About Pool 11, Mississippi River

Surface Area (acres): 19875.00
Maximum Depth (feet): Unknown
Motoring Restrictions: None
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Dubuque
Description: Pool 11 extends 32.1 miles from Lock and Dam 11 at Dubuque, IA upstream to Lock and Dam 10 located at Guttenberg, IA. Pool 11 is part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
Coordinates: 42.59379497, -90.74900428

Nearby Parks

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Amenities

Amenities at Pool 11, Mississippi River include:
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Fishing Report

Ice is completely gone out of backwaters. Recent rains and snow melt have the Upper Mississippi River ramps open for fishing. Tailwater fishing at the lock and dams is starting to pick up. Water temperature is warming into the 40's this week.
Water level at Guttenberg is currently 7.9 feet and is expected to gradually recede over the next week. Water temperature is 41. Any remaining backwater ice is UNSAFE for fishing. Guttenberg boat ramps are open for tailwater fishing and main channel is ice free.
Northern Pike - Fair: Prespawn northern are biting.
Sauger - Fair: Fish the tailwaters of the lock and dam using a hair jig tipped with minnow.
Walleye - Good: Tailwater fishing for walleye has been slow but is improving with the rising water temps.
Yellow Perch - Good: Perch bite should begin to pick up in the tailwaters

Popular Fish Species

Fishing Forecast

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Consumption Guidelines

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

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 .

Stocking

  • 04/10/2015 - 50,000 Northern Pike (Fry)
  • 04/09/2015 - 50,000 Northern Pike (Fry)

Management

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Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: None

Contacts for this Location

Fishing Regulations

  • Black Bullhead
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Black Crappie
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.
  • Bluegill
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.
  • Brown Bullhead
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Channel Catfish
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Flathead Catfish
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Freshwater Drum
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.
  • Largemouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 10 fish
    • Length Limit: 14-inch minimum
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.
  • Northern Pike
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Pumpkinseed
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Smallmouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 10 fish
    • Length Limit: 14-inch minimum
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.
  • Walleye
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 6 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 12 fish
    • Length Limit: 15-inch minimum length limit; all walleye from 20 to 27-inches must be immediately released alive
    • Other: No more than one walleye longer than 27 inches may be taken per day on these pools
  • White Crappie
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.
  • Yellow Perch
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:

Aquatic Invasive Species

  • Bighead Carp
  • Brittle Naiad
  • Eurasian Watermilfoil
  • Flowering Rush
  • Largemouth Bass Virus
  • Silver Carp
  • Zebra Mussel

To learn more about AIS, visit the Iowa DNR's Aquatic Invasive Species page for more information and resources.

Fish Surveys

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