| As of February 19, ice conditions are supporting angling. |
| As of February 19, lakes and ponds in Central Iowa had 6-11 inches of ice. Ice is more variable south of Interstate 80. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885. |
| Rainbow Trout - Fair: Trout were stocked through the ice on January 16. Catch trout with jigging spoons or panfish jigs tipped with waxworms. |
Largemouth Bass were sampled in good numbers from 9.5- to 17.5-inches. The Bluegill population looks very good with larger Bluegill from 8- to 9-inches. Black Crappies are present in low numbers, but good sizes from 9.5- to 15.5-inches. Channel Catfish are in fair numbers and good size from 13- to just over 30-inches. Rainbow trout are stocked during the fall/spring as part of the community trout stocking program and persist into June.(2021)
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 .