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Comprehensive sampling surveys were completed the summer of 2023 to assess the fishery. This followed the removal of a substantial amount of big mouth buffalo and common carp the winter before. 9,300 total fish were sampled during these surveys, most of which were batch counts of young of the year bluegill, black crappie and pumpkinseed. A large number of adult large mouth bass, walleye, yellow bass and yellow perch were also collected. A large spawn from many different species should hopefully fill the void left by the commercially harvested fish. Rapid growth should be expected in the coming years from young of the year and sub adult fish of various species that were found in good numbers such as walleye, largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. Anglers should also be able to start harvesting from a larger year class of 10+ inch black crappie in the coming years. (2023)
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 .