| Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa. Ice conditions vary at each lake with open water at some areas. Use caution if going out. |
| The current lake level is 903.38 msl; recreation pool is 904 msl. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels so properly drain, clean and dry equipment before transporting to another waterbody. Ice thickness varies across the lake. There is open water in the main lake area. A few anglers have been doing some fishing in the back coves and bays but use caution. |
Hybrid striped bass abundance continues to increase and fish approaching 9 lbs were sampled in 2020. Walleye abundance is increasing and fry survival in 2020 was good. These fish will be approximately 14 inches in spring 2022. Crappie growth was good and abundance is relatively high. Crappie angling in 2020 was excellent, especially in the spring. Fish up to 14 inches were abundant, most fish are 9 to 11 inches.(2020)
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 .