| Tailwater ramps are open throughout the district. Water is slowly warming up and is in the upper 40's throughout the district. If you have angling questions, please call Bellevue Fisheries Management at 563-880-8781. |
| Water level at Bellevue is steady at 6.7 feet. Water is clear with the temperature near 47 degrees in the main channel. |
| Bluegill - No Report: Lots of bluegills were caught during the ice fishing season and expect good open water fishing on gills this year. |
| Walleye - Fair: Most anglers using a jig and minnow rig. Some small walleye are being reported with a rare keeper. A few fish approaching 10 pounds have been reported in the tailwaters so far. |
| Yellow Perch - No Report: Some could be caught in the tailwaters as it is common this time of year. So far nothing has been reported to us. |
| Northern Pike - No Report: Pike spawning season is upon us. Pike are one of the earliest of spawners on the Mississippi and can be a tad difficult to catch when they lay eggs. |
| Rainbow Trout - Excellent: The Kids trout pond North of the DNR fisheries station is stocked with trout and should remain good fishing till the April/May time frame when it will weed over. |
| Brown Bullhead - Good: The lower pool access sites are good places to fish off the bank to catch brown bullhead and an occasional catfish. Bullheads are good early season biters |
| Paddlefish - Good: Paddlefish angling remain good with the stable water level. Please review the rules for paddlefish snagging as they are somewhat complex. |
Excellent Fishery! Good populations of Black Crappie were reported this fall, surveys indicated an excellent reproduction of yellow perch, and walleye. In fact walleye spawn may be the largest we have ever recorded. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass fisheries are going well and often the target of major fishing tournaments circuits. Channel catfish and freshwater drum also provide a strong viable fishery. (2016)
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 .