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Stream Details

South Bear Creek

General Information

County: Winneshiek
Location: Located at Highlandville.
Stream Segment Length: 5.20

Amenities

Amenities at South Bear Creek include:
  • Trails
  • Camping
  • 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.

South Bear is stocked weekly April through October with catchable 10-12 inch Rainbow Trout. This fishery maintains a wild Brown Trout population. Sampling data from 2009 showed 872 Brown Trout per mile with fish up to 16 inches collected. This is an estimated population and actual trout numbers will be higher. Please be aware that segments of the stream are on private property where only angling is permitted. Primitive camping is allowed on the state owned South Bear Wildlife Management Area. A private campground and general store are located in Highlandville. (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 - 12,760 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • Annual 2021 - 13,640 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • Annual 2020 - 13,200 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • August 2019 - 1,320 Brook Trout (10.8)
  • annual 2019 - 12,198 Rainbow Trout (10.8)
  • annual 2018 - 609 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2018 - 12,283 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2017 - 3,236 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2017 - 10,352 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2016 - 1,428 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2016 - 12,272 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • 6/6/16 - 5,250 Brown Trout (4")
  • annual 2015 - 1,906 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2015 - 11,528 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • 06/09/2015 - 7,500 Brown Trout (4")
  • 05/13/2015 - 2,000 Brown Trout (4")
  • annual 2014 - 2,622 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2014 - 10,217 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • 06/02/2014 - 3,350 Brown Trout (2")

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: Anglers must have paid the Trout Fee to fish for or possess trout
  • 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: Anglers must have paid the Trout Fee to fish for or possess trout
  • 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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