| Ice fishing conditions are generally good in traditional areas but care must always be taken. Even in some traditional areas thin ice or even open water has been reported. If you have angling questions, please call Bellevue Fisheries Management at 563-880-8781. |
| Water level at Bellevue is stable and presently is near 5.2 feet. Water is clear with the temperature near 33 degrees in the main channel. Bellevue City ramp and Iowa DNR ramp is presently frozen in. |
| Walleye - Good: The tailwater has been open most of the winter but presently it is frozen in with recent cold weather. |
| Bluegill - Excellent: In general ice thickness is decent. Ice can be sketchy around the south campground in Sabula at times so please check it before going out. |
| Yellow Perch - Good: Many little yellow perch with an occasional nicer fish being seen around the Sabula Lakes areas. Some perch also being caught at Millers Landing in lower Pool 13 in some very shallow backwaters. Typically late ice can be good for yellow perch. |
| Largemouth Bass - Good: Lots of big bass have been reported by ice anglers in the Sabula area. May have tailed off recently. |
| Northern Pike - Excellent: Pike are being caught in a variety of locations on tips up tipped with large shiners. May be the best pike fishing seen on the river in years. |
| Rainbow Trout - Good: The Kids trout pond North of the DNR fisheries station is stocked with trout and should remain good fishing till the April/May time frame when it will weed over. Presently it is frozen over an nearly impossible to fish. It should open up again soon with warmer temps. |
Excellent Fishery! Good populations of Black Crappie were reported this fall, surveys indicated an excellent reproduction of yellow perch, and walleye. In fact walleye spawn may be the largest we have ever recorded. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass fisheries are going well and often the target of major fishing tournaments circuits. Channel catfish and freshwater drum also provide a strong viable fishery. (2016)
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 .