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Lake Manawa is a shallow 772 acre oxbow lake of the Missouri River. Sixteen different fish species have been documented in the lake. The fishing centers around black and white crappie, largemouth bass, walleye, wipers and channel catfish. Blue catfish stocked by DNR are a resent addition to the fishery. The 2024 electrofishing survey showed low number of bass but sizes ranged from 10 to 18 inches. Walleye and wipers provide an additional predator in the lake as well as some exciting fishing. Walleye netted in fall fykes ranged in size from 12 to 25 inches and wipers ranged in size from 3 to 22 inches. Crappies in the lake are cyclical and their populations vary from year to year depending on the size and number of the dominate year class. Large numbers of crappie were sampled in fykes with lengths fairly evenly distributed between 6 and 10 inches with a large cohort in the 3 to 4 inch range. Abundant yellow bass plague the fish community in Lake Manawa.(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 .