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Lake Virginia in Wabaunsie State Park once provided quality fishing for largemouth bass, bluegills and channel catfish. Frequent winter kill events has set the fishery back. A complete fishery renovation and restocking effort occurred in 2022. Adult Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Channel Catfish have been restocked. A fishable population is expected to return to the lake by the end of 2023. Winter aeration was added to the lake to prevent future winterkill events.(2022)
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 .