| All stream stockings announced once a month minimum. Trout streams are in good condition. Long pants or waders protect legs from irritating yellow parsnip and nettles. No see-ums and mosquitoes aggressive. |
| Brown Trout - Good: Fish near or around logs or undercut banks. Spinner baits work well. Also try using streamers on larger waterbodies for some exciting action. |
| Brook Trout - Fair: Good hatches of a variety of gnats, mayflies, caddis flies, and midges occurring. |
| Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Use spinner baits, hair jigs, or hooks tipped with a small piece of worm, bread, or cheese floating through deeper holes. Freshly stocked fish are waiting to take your bait. |
French Creek has a naturally reproducing population of Brown Trout. Last sampled in 2011 found 2,100 Brown Trout per mile with fish up to 20-inches. This is an estimated population and actual trout numbers will be higher. The upstream segment (upstream of the confluence with the West Branch of French Creek) also has a naturally reproducing South Pine strain Brook Trout population with some wild Brown Trout in this area. Sampling in 2017 showed 220 Brook Trout per mile with fish up to 11-inches collected. Brown Trout sampled in this area numbered 700 fish per mile with fish up to 16-inches. There is a catch and release regulation for Brown Trout only and an artificial lure only rule on French Creek. Primitive camping is allowed on the French Creek Wildlife Management Area. Parts of the stream are on private property where only angling is permitted.(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 .