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Interior River Details

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Interior Rivers

Big Sioux River

General Information

Location:
Length in miles: 129.00
Motoring Restrictions:

Nearby Parks

Stone State Park

Amenities

Amenities at Big Sioux River include:

    No recent updates

    River Maps

    Download Printable River Map

    • 6/17/22 - 51,545 Walleye (1.5)
    • 07/14/2021 - 5,513 Walleye (4)
    • 07/14/2021 - 10,038 Walleye (1.6)
    • 06/17/2021 - 67,706 Walleye (1.28)
    • 06/10/2020 - 65,324 Walleye (1.7)
    • 07/02/2019 - 52,448 Walleye (1.06)
    • 7/7/2017 - 6,963 Walleye (2.5")
    • 7/10/2017 - 5,509 Walleye (2.6")
    • 7/10/2017 - 7,068 Walleye (2.6")
    • 6/20/2017 - 35,780 Walleye (2.6")
    • 6/21/16 - 51,720 Walleye (2.6")
    • 07/03/2014 - 13,274 Walleye (2-3")

    • Bighead Carp

    The Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.

    • Bigmouth Buffalo
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: none
      • Possession Limit: unlimited
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other:
    • Black Bullhead
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: unlimited
      • Possession Limit: unlimited
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other:
    • Black Crappie
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: none
      • Possession Limit: unlimited
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur
    • Blue Catfish
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 15 fish
      • Possession Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 30 fish
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other:
    • Bluegill
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: none
      • Possession Limit: unlimited
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur
    • Channel Catfish
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 15 fish
      • Possession Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 30 fish
      • 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: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 15 fish
      • Possession Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 30 fish
      • 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.
    • Green Sunfish
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: none
      • Possession Limit: unlimited
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other:
    • Largemouth Bass
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 5 fish
      • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 10 fish
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur
    • Northern Pike
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: 6 fish
      • Possession Limit: 12 fish
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur
    • Paddlefish
      • Season: Feb 2 - April 30
      • Daily Bag Limit: 1 fish
      • Possession Limit: 1 fish
      • Length Limit: less than 35-inches or more than 45-inches
      • Other: Snagging is permitted in the Iowa waters of the Big Sioux River from the I-29 bridge to the confluence with the Missouri River. 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.
    • Quillback
      • 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.
    • Sauger
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 4 fish
      • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 8 fish
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other:
    • Shorthead redhorse
      • 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.
    • Shovelnose sturgeon
      • Season: Closed
      • Daily Bag Limit:
      • Possession Limit:
      • 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: none
      • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur
    • Walleye
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 4 fish
      • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 8 fish
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other:
    • White Bass
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: none
      • Possession Limit: unlimited
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other:
    • White Crappie
      • Season: Continuous
      • Daily Bag Limit: none
      • Possession Limit: unlimited
      • Length Limit: none
      • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur

    Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.

    Contacts

    Water Quality

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

    The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed. Some limitations may apply for young children and pregnant women. Here’s a Fish Consumption Fact Sheet from the Iowa DNR and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health for more information.

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