| Clarity on most streams is good. Stream flows up with recent rain. Rain over weekend may cause streams clarity to decline. |
| Brook Trout - Slow: Use midge, minnow, or leach patterns for fish looking to get more bang for their effort. Midge hatches on sunny afternoons. |
| Brown Trout - Good: Brown trout activity improves when water gets cloudy. Float a line past an undercut bank or current seam for luck. |
| Rainbow Trout - Good: Hatchery holdovers remain in the stream teasing anglers. Use a small spinner bait or hair jig floated past undercut bank or through a deep hole. |
A Wisconsin strain (Ash Creek) Brook Trout was introduced in 2006 and again in 2009 and 2010. Sampling results in 2010 indicated good survival of these with natural reproduction occurring. Domestic fingerling Brown Trout reproduction were stocked periodically from 1973 through 2001. In 2002, switched to an annual stocking of French Creek strain Brown Trout fingerlings until its discontinuation in 2015. There were 292 Brown Trout per mile with fish up to 11 inches and 317 Brook Trout per mile with fish up to 10 inches collected. This is an estimated population and actual trout numbers will be higher. Brown Trout are most abundant in the lower 1.5 miles of stream. Brook Trout reproduction is occurring in the upstream 1 mile of the stream. Pine Creek WMA offers excellent hiking opportunities with fair shoreline access to the fishery. Primitive camping is available on the wildlife management area.(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 .