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Mississippi River - Pool 17

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Fish Species

Eating Iowa Caught Fish

Most Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if eaten. Over 4.5 million meals of Iowa fish were eaten in 2018. Some limitations of eating fish may apply for young children and pregnant women. Fish are a good source of nutrients that promote healthy child development and is also part of a healthy diet.

Pregnant women, women wanting to become pregnant, breastfeeding mothers, and children under 12 years of age should monitor their fish consumption to ensure they are selecting fish that are low in mercury.

Mississippi River - Pool 17


Pool 17 of the Upper Mississippi River extends 20.1 miles from Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston, IL to Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine. Pool 17 contains 8,137 acres of aquatic habitat. Pool 17 has islands, side channels, and backwaters throughout most of its length. Beginning in Pool 17 and extending downriver, extensive agricultural levies border the river cutting off much of its floodplain. This training of the river has caused loss and degradation of much of the rivers side channel and backwater habitats. The Iowa DNR’s Lake Odessa Wildlife Management Area is located in lower Pool 17. The Big Timber and Louisa Divisions of the Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge are also located in Pool 17.

 

Navigation maps are available from this US Army Corps of Engineers website (link takes you offsite).

In 2012, the Fairport Fish Management Team and volunteers from the local fishing club placed numerous cedar trees into the Big Timber Area (Coolegar Slough) for fish habitat.  This map shows those locations and provides GPS points for this new fish habitat.