Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - Nishna Bend R.A. Ponds

Fishing Forecast

Nishna Bend R.A. Ponds have always struggled as a result of their morphology and the fact that they contain rough fish. The 2024 electrofishing survey found a low abundance of largemouth bass with 27% of them being over 15 inches. Bluegill maximum observed size was 7 inches. Crappie have been shown to do well in this system in the past, but no major year-class was seen having only sampled two individuals.(2024)

Consumption Guidelines

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

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 .