| 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. |
| As of February 19, Don Williams Lake had ice thickness around 11 inches. |
| Black Crappie - Fair: Catch crappies in the late afternoons and evenings on glow jigs with waxworms, or glow spoons with live minnows or minnow heads. |
Fishery surveys in 2024 found Largemouth Bass at all sizes from 10.5- to 19-inches. The two main groups are 12- to 14-inches and 16-to 18-inches. During a fall Walleye survey a 21.5inch, 6.6 pound Largemouth Bass was captured. The Bluegills are topping out at 7.5-inches with the majority of the population being 5.5-to 7-inches. Black Crappies were surveyed in good numbers at sizes from 5.5- to 10.5-inches. Most crappies were around 9-inches. Channel Catfish are numerous with a big group of 12- to 16-inch fish. Channel catfish up to 28 inches are present. A fair Walleye population exists providing an occasional catch. Walleyes surveyed in 2024 were 13- to 28.6-inches. (2024)
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 .