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Stream Details

Waterloo Creek

General Information

County: Allamakee
Location: Streams runs through Dorchester along Waterloo Creek Drive and Highway 76.
Stream Segment Length: 10.50

Amenities

Amenities at Waterloo Creek include:
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing

Brook Trout - Slow: Brook trout in pre-spawn condition and more interested in spawning than feeding making catching more difficult. Dabbling a fly through narrow vegetated runs or find a deeper pool above a beaver dam may grab a brooks attention.
Brown Trout - Fair: Avoid walking in cleared gravel areas in faster moving water. These are trout nests or redds. Brown trout spawning activity nearing an end. Try using flies imitating minnows or other small fish.
Rainbow Trout - Good: Even though catchable stocking is completed for the season, plenty of fish remain in the stream to confound anglers. A small chunk of worm or cheese under a bobber fished through a deeper hole may turn a rainbow head. Cut line on deeply hooked fish if returning to water.
As of November 1, trout stream stocking is finished for the year. Staff would like to thank all our trout anglers and supporters for making this season fun and rewarding. Fall community pond stocking in full swing. Visit our website to find out more. Many trout streams flow through public areas where hunting occurs.
Brook Trout - Slow: Brook trout more interested in spawning than feeding making catching more difficult. Dabbling a fly through narrow vegetated runs or find a deeper pool above a beaver dam may grab a brooks attention.
Brown Trout - Good: Avoid walking in cleared gravel areas in faster moving water. These are trout nests or redds. Try using flies or crankbaits imitating minnows or other small trout.
Rainbow Trout - Good: With the end of catchable trout stocking, plenty of fish remain in the stream to confound anglers. A small chunk of worm or cheese under a bobber fished through a deeper hole may turn a rainbow head. Cut line on deeply hooked fish if returning to water.
As of November 1, trout stream stocking is finished for the year. Staff would like to thank all our trout anglers and supporters for making this season fun and rewarding. Fall community pond stocking in full swing. Visit our website to find out more. Many trout streams flow through public areas where hunting occurs.

Portions of Waterloo Creek above Dorchester are stocked weekly April through October with catchable 10-12 inch Rainbow Trout. Wild Brown Trout populations are present throughout this stream. Waterloo Creek below Highway 76 is posted as a catch and release area for all trout and artificial lure only rule applies. Sampling data from 2010 showed 685 Brown Trout per mile with fish up to 23 inches. This is an estimated population and actual trout numbers will be higher. Stream access is easy with many angler access points on both public and private land open to fishing only. Primitive camping is available on the Waterloo Creek Wildlife Management Area.(2022)

Stream Maps


Parking Access
Catchable Trout Waters
Fingerling Stocked or Natural Reproduction
Restrictive Regulation Stream

You can zoom the map in and out using the slider on the left hand side, and you can pan the map by clicking and dragging. Rollover features for more information. Click streams to go to their page.

    No known aquatic invasive species have been found

  • Annual 2022 - 9,860 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • Annual 2021 - 10,385 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • Annual 2020 - 10,376 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • summer 2019 - 1,160 Brook Trout (10.8)
  • annual 2019 - 8,993 Rainbow Trout (10.8)
  • summer 2018 - 1,169 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2018 - 7,941 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2017 - 2,267 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2017 - 7,947 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2016 - 1,129 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2016 - 9,086 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2015 - 1,603 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2015 - 8,800 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2014 - 1,917 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2014 - 7,835 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)

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

  • 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: Catch and release only. Artificial lures only in posted areas. Artificial lure means lures that do not contain or have applied to them any natural or human-made substance designed to attract fish by the sense of taste or smell.
  • 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: Catch and release only. Artificial lures only in posted areas. Artificial lure means lures that do not contain or have applied to them any natural or human-made substance designed to attract fish by the sense of taste or smell.
  • White Sucker
    • 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.

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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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