| 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. |
North Cedar upstream of Ivory Road is stocked twice a month April through October with catchable 10-12 inch Rainbow Trout. Segments of this stream received fingerling domestic Brown Trout from 1999 to 2002 but was switched in 2002 to French Creek strain brownies until discontinued in 2009. Domestic Brook Trout fingerlings were stocked from 1992 to 1998. A Wisconsin strain (Ash Creek) Brook Trout was also introduced in 2006 and again in 2009 and 2010. Sampling data for 2011 showed 168 Brown Trout per mile with fish up to 14 inches and 120 Brook Trout per mile with fish up to 12 inches. Natural reproduction of both species has been documented. This is an estimated population and actual trout numbers will be higher. North Cedar is a small stream with heavy tree cover. Primitive camping is available.(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 .