Fisheries Management

Bellevue Fisheries Management
24143 Hwy. 52, Bellevue, IA 52031, 563-872-4976
Scott Gritters

The Bellevue Fisheries Management office is located south of Bellevue on Hwy 52. The team manages the fisheries on Mississippi River Pools 12, 13, 14 and 15 from Dubuque to above the Quad Cities.

Bellevue management team activities include:

• Manage commercial fishing permits and reporting.
• Survey and assess fish, turtle and mussel populations.
• Design Mississippi River habitat projects.
• Analyze physical, chemical and biological aspects of area river watersheds.
• Install fish habitat and other structures.
• Review permits.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Enhance community fishing opportunities.
• Conduct fishing clinics and outdoor classrooms.

Black Hawk Lake Fisheries Management
Black Hawk Lake State Park, Box 619, Lake View, IA 51450, 712-657-2638
Ben Wallace; Matt Mork

The Black Hawk Lake Fisheries Management office is located in Black Hawk Lake State Park in Lake View. The team manages public fishing waters in Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Crawford, Greene, Ida, Monona, Pocahontas, Sac, Webster and Woodbury counties. Some of the larger and more popular bodies of water in this area are: Black Hawk Lake, Blue Lake, Brushy Creek Lake, North Twin Lake, Missouri River, Storm Lake and the Little Sioux and Raccoon Rivers.

Black Hawk management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish populations in lakes and rivers.
• Shallow lakes management on several small natural lakes.
• Satellite walleye hatchery on Storm Lake.
• Watershed management and lake restoration on natural lakes.
• Public outreach and education of aquatic resources.

Boone Fisheries Management
Ledges State Park, 1436 255th St., Boone, IA 50036
Ben Dodd, 641-891-3795; Andy Otting, 515-204-5885

The Boone Fisheries Management office is located at the Boone Wildlife Research Station just south of Boone. The team manages public fishing waters in Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Marion, Polk, Story and Warren counties. Some of the larger and more popular bodies of water in this area are: Big Creek Lake, Lake Ahquabi, Red Rock Reservoir and Saylorville Reservoir.

Boone management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish populations in lakes, rivers and streams.
• Install fish habitat and other structures.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Conduct limited fishing clinics and outdoor classrooms.

Clear Lake Fisheries Management
1203 N Shore Dr., Clear Lake, IA 50428, 641-357-3517
Scott Grummer; Kurt Meek

The Clear Lake Fisheries Management office is located on the northeast shore of Clear Lake. The team manages public fishing waters in Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Humboldt, Kossuth, Winnebago, Worth and Wright counties. Some of the larger and more popular bodies of water in this area are: Beeds Lake, Clear Lake, Lake Cornelia and the Iowa, Boone and Des Moines Rivers.

Clear Lake management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish populations in lakes and rivers.
• Creel surveys on Clear Lake.
• Urban trout fishery at Blue Pit in Mason City.
• Clear Lake and Ventura Marsh watershed and restoration project.
• Operate a walleye egg collection site at Clear Lake each spring.
• Install fish habitat.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Shallow natural lake restorations.
• Public outreach and education of aquatic resources

Cold Springs Fisheries Management
Cold Springs State Park, 57744 Lewis Rd., Lewis, IA 51544, 712-769-2587
Bryan Hayes; Mark Boucher

The Cold Springs Fisheries Management office is located in Cold Springs State Park, south of Lewis. The team manages public fishing waters in Adair, Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie and Shelby counties. Some of the larger and more popular bodies of water in this area are: Lake Anita, Lake Manawa, Missouri River, Prairie Rose Lake and Viking Lake.

Cold Springs management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish populations in lakes, rivers and streams.
• Install fish habitat and other structures.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Conduct limited fishing clinics and outdoor classrooms.

Community Fishing Program
502 East 9th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319, 515-344-6960
Tyler Stubbs

The Community Fishing Program is located in the Wallace State Office Building in downtown Des Moines. The Community Fishing Biologist works with Iowa’s larger cities to increase angling participation by improving opportunities.

Activities of the Community Fishing Biologist include:

• Help district biologists with fish population surveys and assessments in urban areas.
• Public outreach and education of aquatic resources.
• Provide consultation for cities on common pond issues.
• Help with the coordination of urban fish stockings.
• Collaborate with city officials, engineers, and developers on new pond construction.
• Work on the Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation of anglers in urban areas.

Decorah Fisheries Management
2325 Siewers Spring Rd., Decorah, IA 52101, 563-382-8324
Mike Siepker; Theresa Shay

The Decorah Fisheries Management office is located at the Decorah State Trout Hatchery southeast of Decorah on Siewers Spring Road. The team manages public fishing waters in Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell and Winneshiek counties.

• Manage the coldnwater trout streams in the northern half of the region.
• Survey and assess fish and turtle populations in lakes and rivers.
• Analyze physical, chemical and biological aspects of area rivers, lakes and watersheds.
• Install fish habitat and other structures.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Enhance community fishing opportunities.
• Conduct fishing clinics and outdoor classrooms.

Fairport Fisheries Management
3390 Hwy. 22, Muscatine, IA 52761, 563-263-5062
Andy Fowler; Adam Thiese; Melanie Harkness

The Fairport Fisheries Management office is located on the Mississippi River at the Fairport Fish Hatchery east of Muscatine. The team manages the Mississippi River from Lock and Dam 15 in Davenport to the Iowa-Missouri line below Lock and Dam 19 at Keokuk. They manage 68,000 acres of the Mississippi River.

Fairport management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish and mussel populations in the Mississippi River.
• Develop habitat improvement projects that benefit fish and other aquatic species.
• Review permits.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Coordinate with other Mississippi River agencies to best manage river species.
• Conduct research to acquire information to best manage river species.
• Conduct fishing clinics and other public outreach activities.

Guttenberg Fisheries Management
331 S River Park Dr., Guttenberg, IA 52052, 563-252-1156
Karen Osterkamp; Kevin Hanson

The Guttenberg Fisheries Management team is located at the Guttenberg Aquarium and Hatchery south of Mississippi River, Lock and Dam 10 located on River Park Drive. The team manages the fisheries on Mississippi River Pools 9, 10 and 11 from the Minnesota border to Dubuque.

Guttenberg management team activities include:

• Manage the Guttenberg Northern Pike Hatchery each spring.
• Manage the Guttenberg Visitor Center and Aquariums in the summer.
• Survey and assess fish, turtle and mussel populations.
• Analyze physical, chemical and biological aspects of area river watersheds.
• Install fish habitat and other structures.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Enhance community fishing opportunities.
• Conduct fishing clinics and outdoor classrooms.

Lake Darling Fisheries Management
Lake Darling State Park, 110 Lake Darling Rd., Brighton, IA 52540, 319-694-2430
Chad Dolan; Vance Polton

The Lake Darling Fisheries Management office is located in Lake Darling State Park west of Brighton. The team manages public waters in Clinton, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Muscatine and Scott counties. Some of the larger and more popular bodies of water in this area are: BigHollow Lake, Lake Belva Deer, Lake Darling, Lake Geode, Lake Odessa, Lost GroveLake, Shimek Forest ponds and the Cedar, Iowa, and Skunk Rivers.

Lake Darling management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish and mussel populations in lakes and rivers.
• Install fish habitat and other structures.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Conduct fishing clinics and outdoor classrooms.

Lake Macbride Fisheries Management
Lake Macbride State Park, 3475 Hwy. 382 NE, Solon, IA 52333, 319-624-3615
Paul Sleeper; Chris Mack

The Lake Macbride Fisheries Management office is located in Lake Macbride State Park west of Solon. The team manages public fishing waters in Benton, Cedar, Grundy, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Marshall, Poweshiek and Tama counties. Some of the larger and more popular bodies of water in this area are: Coralville Reservoir, Lake Macbride, Pleasant Creek Lake and the Iowa, Cedar and Wapsipinicon Rivers.

Lake Macbride management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish and mussel populations in lakes and rivers.
• Install fish habitat and other structures.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Conduct fishing clinics and outdoor classrooms

Lake Rathbun Fisheries Management
15053 Hatchery Place, Moravia, IA 52571, 641-647-2406
Mark Flammang; Bruce Ellison

The Lake Rathbun Fisheries Management office is located at the Rathbun Fish Hatchery which is below the Rathbun Reservoir Dam west of Moravia. The team manages public waters in Appanoose, Davis, Lucas, Mahaska, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello and Wayne counties. Some of the larger and more popular bodies of water in this area are Hawthorn Lake, Lake Keomah, Lake Miami, Lake Sugema, Lake Wapello, Rathbun Reservoir, Red Haw Lake, and the Des Moines River.

Lake Rathbun management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish and mussel populations in lakes and rivers.
• Develop fish habitat.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Permit reviews.
• Develop and monitor lake restoration projects.
• Assist with water quality assessments and watershed improvement to area lakes.
• Conduct research to acquire information to best manage fish and other aquatic resources.
• Conduct fishing clinics and other public outreach activities

Manchester Fisheries Management
22693 - 205th Ave., Manchester, IA 52057, 563-927-3276
Dan Kirby; Mark Winn

The Manchester Fisheries Management office is located at the Manchester Trout Hatchery approximately 4 miles southeast of Manchester on 205th Avenue. The team manages public waters in Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson counties.

Manchester management team activities include:

• Work collaboratively with public and private organizations or individuals to promote and improve fishing opportunities.
• Manage fishery resources in cold water trout streams, warm water rivers and public lakes.
• Survey and assess fish and turtle populations in lakes, rivers and streams.
• Assess and install fish habitat and restoration practices in aquatic resources.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Enhance community fishing opportunities.
• Conduct fishing clinics and outdoor classrooms.

Mississippi River Habitat Coordinator
206 Rose St., Bellevue, IA 52031, 563-845-1337
Kirk Hansen

The Mississippi River Habitat Coordinator is located at the Mississippi River Monitoring Station in Bellevue. The Coordinator works with partner agencies and organizations to restore and improve habitat along Iowa's 312 miles of the Mississippi River. Much of this restoration is accomplished through the US Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, a partnership between the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Geological Survey, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Agriculture, the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, and numerous non-governmental organizations and private citizens.

Activities of the Mississippi River Habitat Coordinator include:

• Collaborate with partners on the planning, design, and construction of environmental restoration projects on the Mississippi River.
• Represent the Iowa DNR on numerous Mississippi River inter-agency groups and committees.
• Conduct inspections and evaluations of constructed habitat restoration projects.
• Coordinate Mississippi River navigation channel maintenance dredging permits.
• Assist Mississippi River teams with surveys and research activities.

Mississippi River Monitoring Station
206 Rose St., Bellevue, IA 52031, 563-872-5495
Dave Bierman; Travis Kueter; Mel Bowler; Kyle Bales

The Mississippi River Monitoring Station is located in Bellevue, Iowa, on Pool 13 of the Mississippi River. The team conducts annual monitoring of fisheries, water quality and aquatic vegetation in Pool 13 of the Mississippi River (from Bellevue to Clinton, IA).This monitoring is part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, which is a partnership between the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Geological Survey, and the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri.

Mississippi River management team activities include:

• Conduct water quality monitoring of local Mississippi River tributaries.
• Monitor local Mississippi River environmental restoration projects (i.e., backwater dredging) to evaluate the ecological response of these projects.
• Enhance the scientific understanding of the Upper Mississippi River ecosystem.
• Collaborate with federal partners and neighboring states on Mississippi River management and potential habitat restoration projects.
• Assist other Mississippi River teams with monitoring plans and data collection efforts.

Mount Ayr Fisheries Management
2093 E Loch Ayr Rd., Mt. Ayr, IA 50854, 641-464-3108
Andy Jansen; Jon Christensen

The Mount Ayr Fisheries Management office is located north of Mount Ayr just below Loch Ayr Lake. The team manages public fishing waters in Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Madison, Page, Ringgold, Taylor and Union counties. Some of the larger and more popular bodies of water in this area are Green Valley Lake, Lake Icaria, Little River Watershed Lake, Three Mile Lake, Twelve Mile CreekLake and West Lake Osceola.

Mount Ayr management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish populations in lakes, rivers and streams.
• Install fish habitat and other structures.
• Perform fish kill investigations.
• Conduct fishing clinics and outdoor classrooms.
• Raise bluegill, blue catfish, hybrid striped bass (Palmetto bass),largemouth bass and redear sunfish.

Spirit Lake Fish Management
122 252nd Ave., Spirit Lake, IA 51360, 712-336-1840
Mike Hawkins;
Jed Siegwarth

The Spirit Lake Fisheries Management office is located at the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery near Orleans. The team manages public fishing waters in Clay, Emmet, Dickinson, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth and Sioux and counties. Some of the larger and more popular bodies of water in this area are: Big Spirit Lake, East Okoboji Lake, Five Island Lake, Lost Island Lake, Silver Lake (Dickinson), West Okoboji Lake and the Big Sioux, Little Sioux and West Fork Des Moines Rivers.

Spirit Lake management team activities include:

• Survey and assess fish populations in lakes and rivers.
• Creel surveys on the Iowa Great Lakes.
• Watershed management and lake restoration of natural lakes.
• Shallow lakes management on several small natural lakes.
• Public outreach and education of aquatic resources.