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Spring electrofishing indicated good numbers of Largemouth Bass up to 20 inches. Bluegill up to 8.5 inches and Crappie up to 10 inches are available to anglers. Channel Catfish were sampled in low abundance, however, large catfish are available to anglers as the largest catfish sampled was over 13 lbs.(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 .