Fish Iowa - Rivers and Streams - Des Moines River (Stratford to Saylorville Lake)

Rivers and Streams DNR Homepage

About Des Moines River (Stratford to Saylorville Lake)

River length (miles): 57.00
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Polk
Description:
Coordinates: 41.79471408, -93.77605004

Nearby Parks

Big Creek State Park

Amenities

Amenities at Des Moines River (Stratford to Saylorville Lake) include:

Hard Surface Boat Ramp

What to Fish For

Fishing Report

- No recent updates found

Popular Fish Species

Fishing Forecast

- No results found

Consumption Guidelines

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

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 .

Where to Go

Printable Map (PDF)

Explore the full Fishing Atlas

Stocking and Management

Stocking

6/3/22 - 47,975 Walleye (1.5)
06/07/2021 - 3,223 Walleye (1.6)
06/01/2021 - 44,711 Walleye (1.5)
06/10/2020 - 47,971 Walleye (1.7)
June 2019 - 47,972 Walleye (2)
06/08/2018 - 48,362 Walleye (1.4)
6/2/2017 - 22,745 Walleye (1.6")
5/31/2017 - 6,479 Walleye (1.6")
5/31/2017 - 16,022 Walleye (1.6")
6/7/16 - 29,645 Walleye (1.9")
06/02/2015 - 30,122 Walleye (2")

Management

- No results found

Regulations and Who to Talk To

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: None

Contacts for this Location

Nate Anderson, Conservation Officer; 515-238-4849; Nate.Anderson@dnr.iowa.gov
Ben Dodd, Fisheries Biologist; 641-891-3795; Ben.Dodd@dnr.iowa.gov
Austin Durnan, Conservation Officer; 515-238-5006; austin.durnan@dnr.iowa.gov

Fishing Regulations

Bigmouth Buffalo

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Black Bullhead

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Black Crappie

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined black and white crappie, 25 fish
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Bluegill

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Channel Catfish

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 15 fish
Possession Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 30 fish
Length Limit: none
Other:

Common Carp

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.

Flathead Catfish

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 15 fish
Possession Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 30 fish
Length Limit: none
Other:

Freshwater Drum

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.

Northern Pike

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: 3 fish
Possession Limit: 6 fish
Length Limit: none
Other:

Quillback

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.

Shorthead redhorse

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.

Smallmouth Bass

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
Length Limit: 12-inch minimum
Other:

Smallmouth Buffalo

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Walleye

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 5 fish
Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 10 fish
Length Limit: none
Other:

White Bass

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

White Crappie

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined black and white crappie, 25 fish
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

White Sucker

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.

Science and Conservation