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Bluegill quality is fair, most fish are less than 8". Crappie abundance is high, size structure is dominated by fish less than 9 inches; however, crappies greater than 11 inches are available. Largemouth bass density is fair with fish up to 20 inches present in the most recent survey. Channel catfish abundance is relatively high with large fish available (greater than 25 inches).(2019)
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 .