| 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. |
Otter Creek is stocked weekly April, May, June, September and October with catchable 10-12 inch Rainbow Trout. Fingerling French Creek Brown Trout were stocked annually from 2006 to 2017. Fingerling Rainbow Trout were stocked from 2000 to 2014. The Otter Creek segment from Hornet Road to Echo Valley Park supports trout populations year-round. The downstream portion of Otter Creek, adjacent to Echo Valley Road, is not a coldwater stream and does not support trout populations during most summers. Part of Otter Creek is in Echo Valley State Park. Easy walking trails are abundant.(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 .