Fish Iowa - Rivers and Streams - Des Moines River (Red Rock to Ottumwa Dam)

Rivers and Streams DNR Homepage

About Des Moines River (Red Rock to Ottumwa Dam)

River length (miles): 47.00
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Wapello
Description: 4 ramps in this stretch in Monroe, Mahaska, and Wapello counties: Eveland Access, Hardfish Access, Black Hawk River Access, and Black Hawk Road Access. These ramps are all up river of the hydrodam in Ottumwa.
Coordinates: 41.01579775, -92.41599625

Nearby Parks

- No results found

Amenities

Amenities at Des Moines River (Red Rock to Ottumwa Dam) include:
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp

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 .

Stocking

- No results found

Management

  • 2022 - Exotic Species-Mussels: One zebra mussel found by Rathbun and MacBride Fisheries Management upstream of the Ottumwa Hydropower Facility
  • 2012 - Ramp-Maintenance: Concrete boat ramp location at Eveland Park, Mahaska County
  • 2012 - Ramp-Maintenance: Concrete boat ramp location at Hardfish Access, Monroe/Mahaska County line
  • 2012 - Ramp-Maintenance: Concrete boat ramp location at Black Hawk River Access, Wapello County. East side of DM River
  • 2012 - Ramp-Maintenance: Concrete boat ramp location at Black Hawk Road River Access, Wapello County. West side of DM River
  • 2012 - Exotic Species-Fish: Silver carp reported by Jason Euchner below Red Rock dam

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: None

Contacts for this Location

Fishing Regulations

- No results found

Aquatic Invasive Species

  • Bighead Carp
  • Silver Carp

To learn more about AIS, visit the Iowa DNR's Aquatic Invasive Species page for more information and resources.

Fish Surveys

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