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Yellow Smoke Lake has exceptionally clear water, which can make fishing difficult. While the bluegill population in Yellow Smoke is good, they can be difficult to catch. Yellow Smoke consistently produces 9.5+-inch bluegill, but anglers that catch 6 to 8 of those fish can consider that a good day of fishing. In the spring, target your efforts in the upper arms and coves where the nests will likely be found. Later in the summer, drift fish with very light tackle and line. The larger crappie are 10- to 12-inches; focus efforts around the stand of submerged trees. Largemouth bass are abundant. There are a lot of 10- to 14-inch bass, but plenty of larger fish to keep the avid bass angler happy. Channel catfish are stocked on a regular basis and there are many different size classes. Redear sunfish are present and some are very large (10+-inches). Fish deeper around submerged woody habitat and vegetation for those redears.(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 .