| The 2025 Catchable trout stocking calendar is now available. Catchable stocking season begins April 1. Start planning your getaway to beautiful northeast Iowa now. |
| Brook Trout - Slow: Use a midge, minnow, or leach pattern for fish looking to get more bang for their effort. |
| Brown Trout - Good: Fish around an undercut bank or similar structure. Cloudy days and off color water are a perfect mix for catching this trout. |
| Rainbow Trout - Good: Hatchery holdovers remain in the stream teasing anglers. Use small spinner baits or hair jigs floated past structure. |
Coldwater Creek is stocked weekly April through October with catchable 10-12 inch Rainbow Trout and also provides opportunities for wild Brown Trout. Sampling data for Coldwater from 2011 showed 1593 Brown Trout per mile with fish up to 19 inches present. This is an estimated population and actual trout numbers will be higher. Coldwater also has a population of Rainbow Trout with inconsistent natural reproduction. The spring source of Coldwater Creek is on public property and one of the most beautiful in Iowa. There are areas of easy streambank access. Primitive camping opportunities are available in the Coldwater Creek Wildlife Management Area.(2022)
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 .