Fish Iowa - Trout Streams - Turkey River


About Turkey River

Stream segment length (miles): 1.00
See below for additional location-specific regulations

Location

County: Clayton
Description:
Coordinates: 42.90603510, -91.46508485

Nearby Parks

- No results found

Amenities

Amenities at Turkey River include:
  • Picnic Area
  • Trails
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Carry Down Boat Launch

Fishing Report

District-Wide Trout Stream Fishing Report

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.

Fishing Summary

Turkey River is stocked April through October with catchable 10-12 inch Rainbow Trout. Improvements have been made to ensure easy access to the river. A small campground with non-electric sites is available close to the hatchery.(2022)

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 .

Stocking

  • Annual 2022 - 7,772 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • Annual 2021 - 6,479 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • Annual 2020 - 5,729 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • annual 2019 - 2,262 Brook Trout (10.8)
  • annual 2019 - 4,287 Rainbow Trout (10.8)
  • annual 2018 - 2,305 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2018 - 2,670 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2017 - 890 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2017 - 5,080 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2016 - 785 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2016 - 7,665 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2015 - 1,657 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2015 - 8,714 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)

Management

    - No results found

Motoring Restrictions

Motoring Restrictions: None

Contacts for this Location

Fishing Regulations

  • Brown Trout
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Anglers must have paid the Trout Fee to fish for or possess trout
  • Rainbow Trout
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Anglers must have paid the Trout Fee to fish for or possess trout
  • Smallmouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
    • Length Limit: 12-inch minimum
    • Other:
  • Walleye
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:

Aquatic Invasive Species

    No known aquatic invasive species have been found

To learn more about AIS, visit the Iowa DNR's Aquatic Invasive Species page for more information and resources.

Fish Surveys

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