| 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. |
North Bear Creek is stocked weekly April through October with catchable 10-12 inch Rainbow Trout. This stream contains a naturally reproducing population of Brown Trout. In 2009, there were 526 Brown Trout per mile with fish up to 20 inches collected. This is an estimated population and actual trout numbers will be higher. Primitive camping is allowed on the state owned North Bear Wildlife Management Area. Please be aware that parts of the stream are on private property open to public fishing.(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 .