| Trout streams are in excellent condition. Next weeks forecast calls for temperatures to be in the forties which may trigger some hatches to occur. |
Elk Creek is a coldwater stream in the upper segment (south of Highway 3) that lies mostly on private property with the exception of public access at Twin Bridges County Park. Catchable rainbow trout are stocked at Twin Bridges and low-density brown trout are also in the fishery originating from natural reproduction in the watershed. Permission is required to access private property segments of the stream.(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 .