Fish Iowa - Rivers and Streams - West Fork Des Moines (state line to Emmetsburg)

Rivers and Streams DNR Homepage

About West Fork Des Moines (state line to Emmetsburg)

River length (miles): 40.00
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Palo Alto
Description:
Coordinates: 43.11529449, -94.71282958

Nearby Parks

- No results found

Amenities

Amenities at West Fork Des Moines (state line to Emmetsburg) include:
  • Boat Access
  • Picnic Area
  • Trails
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Carry Down Boat Launch
  • Accessible Shoreline

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

  • 6/17/22 - 23,421 Walleye (1.5)
  • 07/12/2021 - 18,993 Walleye (1.6)
  • 06/17/2021 - 31,486 Walleye (1.2)
  • 06/11/2021 - 13,571 Walleye (1.9)
  • 07/17/2019 - 5,163 Walleye (3.75)
  • 07/02/2019 - 26,933 Walleye (1.06)
  • 07/05/2018 - 17,424 Walleye (2.59)
  • 7/7/2017 - 2,830 Walleye (2.5")
  • 6/28/2017 - 8,051 Walleye (2.5")
  • 6/26/2017 - 12,220 Walleye (3")
  • 6/28/16 - 23,369 Walleye (3.4")
  • 07/08/2015 - 8,598 Walleye (2")
  • 06/24/2015 - 25,758 Walleye (2.6")

Management

    - No results found

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: None

Contacts for this Location

Fishing Regulations

  • 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:
  • Northern Pike
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: 6 fish
    • 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:

Aquatic Invasive Species

    No known aquatic invasive species have been found

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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