| Next weeks forecast calls for temperatures in the forties. As of this morning there have been a few reports of anglers catching some panfish in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area. Ice conditions remain around the six to eight inches of good ice on most area lakes, as always use extreme caution. For more information contact your local area bait and tackle shop for further information. |
| There have been a few reports on the Cedar River this past week. Apparently a twelve pound walleye was checked in at an area bait shop. |
The Cedar River throughout this stretch offers excellent angling opportunities for walleye, smallmouth bass, channel catfish and occasional northern pike. Boat electrofishing catch rates for walleye are good providing abundant numbers of walleye in this stretch of river. There are many access points throughout this stretch of river. Navigation on this entire stretch is good for smaller flat or V-bottom boats with a smaller hp motor or canoe. A fall 2024 electrofishing survey in Bremer County sampled 42 walleye with 55 percent of them equal to or greater than 15 inches long, the largest walleye measuring in at 24 inches. Another fall 2024 electrofishing survey above LaPorte City provided good numbers of channel catfish with decent numbers of walleye, smallmouth bass and shovelnose sturgeon. A sample taken in Black Hawk County above George Wyth State Park revealed a highly abundant population of smallmouth bass with many year classes represented along with a smattering number of walleye.(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 .