Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - Pool 11, Mississippi River

Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs DNR Homepage

About Pool 11, Mississippi River

Surface Area (acres): 19875.00
Maximum Depth (feet): Unknown
Motoring Restrictions: None
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Clayton
Description: Pool 11 extends 32.1 miles from Lock and Dam 11 at Dubuque, IA upstream to Lock and Dam 10 located at Guttenberg, IA. Pool 11 is part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
Coordinates: 42.59379497, -90.74900428

Nearby Parks

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Amenities

Amenities at Pool 11, Mississippi River include:
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What to Fish For

Fishing Report

Ice Condition: Not Recommended
Water Temperature (°F): 78.0
Ramp Condition: Useable
Comments: Water levels have fallen to 3.6 feet in Guttenberg Lock & Dam 10 tailwaters. Water clarity is good. Boaters should use caution in low water conditions. Look for fish in deeper water with moderate current. Last updated on 08/26/2026

Species Reports

Smallmouth Bass - Excellent: Cast spinnerbaits along rocked main channel shorelines and points of islands with moderate current. Last updated on 08/26/2026

Channel Catfish - Excellent: Stink baits are the hot bait for channel cats. Try fishing in moderate current in 2 to 7 feet of water. . Last updated on 08/19/2026

Black Crappie - Fair: Use a light jig or small spinner bait in moderate current in side channel sloughs with wood structure. Last updated on 08/20/2026

Walleye - Fair: Troll crankbaits or a three-way rig with a whole crawler on the wing-dams. . Last updated on 08/26/2026

Bluegill - Good: High water temperatures will move fish off shore into deeper water. Try a small piece of crawler mid-depth in areas with moderate current. Last updated on 08/26/2026

Largemouth Bass - Excellent: Try a topwater crankbait or frog bait along weedlines of side channels and backwater lakes. Last updated on 08/26/2026

Flathead Catfish - Slow: Use live bait like a shiner or small sunfish in deep water holes with snags or wood structure. Last updated on 08/26/2026

Northern Pike - Good: Northern pike will seek cold water during hot summer days. Throw flashy spinners at the mouths of tributaries. . Last updated on 08/26/2026

Yellow Perch - Fair: Jig small lures or drop shot live bait along the weedlines in backwater lakes. Last updated on 08/26/2026

Freshwater Drum - Good: Use a simple egg sinker and nightcrawler rig in areas with moderate current. Last updated on 08/26/2026

Fishing Summary

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Popular Fish Species

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 .

Where to Go

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Stocking and Management

Stocking

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Management

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Regulations and Who to Talk To

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: None

Contacts for this Location

Jerry Farmer, Conservation Officer (Clayton); 563-880-0422; [email protected]
Karen Osterkamp, Fisheries Biologist; 563-252-1156; [email protected]

Fishing Regulations

The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit. Familiarize yourself with the complete Fishing Regulations here: Iowa DNR Fishing Regulations and Laws.

Black Crappie

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 25 fish
Possession Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 50 fish
Length Limit: none
Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.

Bluegill

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 25 fish
Possession Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 50 fish
Length Limit: none
Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.

Channel Catfish

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Common Carp

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.

Flathead Catfish

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Freshwater Drum

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: none
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.

Largemouth Bass

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 5 fish
Possession Limit: combined black bass, 10 fish
Length Limit: 14-inch minimum
Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.

Northern Pike

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: 5 fish
Possession Limit: 10 fish
Length Limit: none
Other:

Paddlefish

Season: March 1 through April 15
Daily Bag Limit: 2 fish
Possession Limit: 4 fish
Length Limit: 33-inch maximum length; any paddlefish measuring 33 inches or more when measured from the front of the eye to the fork of the tail must be immediately released alive.
Other: Snagging for paddlefish is restricted to the area within 500 yards below the navigation dams and their spillways. No hook larger than a 5/0 treble hook or measuring more than 1 ¼ inches in length when two of the hook points are placed on a ruler are permitted when snagging.

Sauger

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 6 fish
Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 12 fish
Length Limit: 15-inch minimum length limit
Other:

Shovelnose sturgeon

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
Possession Limit: unlimited
Length Limit: none
Other:

Smallmouth Bass

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 5 fish
Possession Limit: combined black bass, 10 fish
Length Limit: 14-inch minimum
Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.

Walleye

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 6 fish
Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 12 fish
Length Limit: 15-inch minimum length limit; all walleye from 20 to 27-inches must be immediately released alive
Other: No more than one walleye longer than 27 inches may be taken per day on these pools

White Bass

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined yellow and white bass, 25 fish
Possession Limit: combined yellow and white bass, 50 fish
Length Limit: none
Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of the Mississippi River are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. In these areas, the daily bag and possession limit for the Mississippi River apply.

White Crappie

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 25 fish
Possession Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 50 fish
Length Limit: none
Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. If you possess an Iowa fishing license (but not Wisconsin), you can only fish in the waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks on the Iowa side of the river and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks on the Wisconsin side of the river.

Yellow Perch

Season: Continuous
Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
Possession Limit: 50 fish
Length Limit: none
Other:

Fish Iowa - Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs - Pool 11, Mississippi River

About Pool 11, Mississippi River

Location

Nearby Parks

Amenities

What to Fish For

Fishing Report

Species Reports

Fishing Summary

Popular Fish Species

Consumption Guidelines

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

Where to Go

Stocking and Management

Stocking

Management

Regulations and Who to Talk To

Motoring Restrictions

Contacts for this Location

Fishing Regulations

Science and Conservation

Aquatic Invasive Species

Fish Surveys