| Water temperature is in upper 50's throughout the district. Levels are once again on the rise. If you have angling questions, please call Bellevue Fisheries Management at 563-880-8781. |
| Northern Pike - Fair: Pike fishing this winter and early spring was very good. It has slowed up a bit but should pick up again after water warms a bit. |
| Walleye - Slow: Walleye bite has been slow. Most walleyes have spawned by now and usually bite starts to pick back up on wingdams in the next few weeks. |
| Water level at Dubuque Lock and Dam is rising at 8.7 feet and the RR Bridge is at 11.2 feet. Water is clear with the temperature around 57 degrees in main channel. |
| Black Crappie - Fair: It takes a bit of fishing in brush piles but a few crappie can be caught on minnow rigs. |
| Bluegill - No Report: Bluegill populations are strong but have not heard anyone fishing them since ice out. Some backwaters still have remnant ice in them yet. |
| Freshwater Drum - Good: Drum can easily be caught on egg sinker and worm rigs. |
| Yellow Perch - Good: Some yellow perch are being caught in the tailwater areas on jig and worm rigs. |
Excellent Fishery! Mississippi River fisheries are varied with nearly 100 species of fish being present in each Pool. Pool 12 is especially noted for quality Largemouth Bass fishing, sunfish, crappie, and catfish. Some other fisheries are coming on strong as well including smallmouth bass and northern pike. Freshwater drum are always a staple and easy to catch in any moderate flowing current areas. Yellow perch can also be found in Pool 12 but often they are reported as "hit or miss". When found they can be abundant. The dredging of Stone, Tippy's, Sunfish and Keogh have really improved opportunities for angling in the middle and lower sections of Pool 12. (2025)
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 .