| Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa. Ice conditions vary at each lake with open water at some areas. Use caution if going out. |
| Ice conditions vary so use caution. |
Black crappie abundance is high and angling for large fish was excellent in 2020, especially early in the year. Most fish are over nine inches but a very larger proportion is greater than 10 inches. Bluegill angling continues to improve, abundance is high, and fish approaching 9 inches were sampled in 2020. Redear sunfish are also abundant and can be found at sizes greater than 9 inches. Largemouth bass remain abundant, growth is somewhat slow but the size range of fish is good. A high abundance of fish greater than 15 inches is present. Channel catfish are dominated by large fish, many greater than 27 inches in length.(2020)
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 .