Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
General Information
Location: North Cedar Park located on the north side of Highway 188 east of Plainfield is a good hard surface boat launch. The river has cut a new channel to the east but still accessible from this boat ramp.
Length in miles: 77.00
Motoring Restrictions: None
Nearby Parks
Amenities
Amenities at Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City) include:
- Boat Access
- Picnic Area
- Beach
- Trails
- Restrooms
- Camping
- Good/Excellent Shorefishing
- Gravel Boat Ramp
- Hard Surface Boat Ramp
- Carry Down Boat Launch
| Interior rivers remain at low levels and should be providing some angling opportunities with the recent warming. As of this morning there have been a few reports of anglers catching some panfish in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area. Ice conditions remain around the six to eight inches of good ice on most area lakes, as always use extreme caution. For more information contact your local area bait and tackle shops. |
| There have been fair reports of anglers catching a few walleye on the Cedar River. |
| Walleye - Fair: Try tipping a jig and plastic with a live minnow for best success. |
- 6/2/22 - 97,495 Walleye (1.3)
- Spring 2021 - 112,712 Walleye (1.26)
- June 2020 - 107,278 Walleye (1.6)
- June 2019 - 94,828 Walleye (1.5)
- 06/06/2018 - 19,159 Walleye (1.39)
- 06/01/2018 - 44,868 Walleye (1.7)
- 5/24/2017 - 92,476 Walleye (1.5")
- 6/8/16 - 10,632 Walleye (1.7")
- 6/8/16 - 10,641 Walleye (1.9")
- 5/26/16 - 90,537 Walleye (Fingerling)
- 09/26/2015 - 30 Flathead Catfish (18")
- 06/04/2015 - 9,742 Walleye (1.9")
- 06/04/2015 - 10,973 Walleye (1.6")
- 05/29/2015 - 13,556 Walleye (2")
The
Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.
- 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:
- Northern Pike
- Season: Continuous
- Daily Bag Limit: 3 fish
- Possession Limit: 6 fish
- Length Limit: none
- Other:
- Smallmouth Bass
- Season: Continuous
- Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
- Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
- Length Limit: 12-inch minimum
- Other:
- Walleye
- Season: Continuous
- Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 5 fish
- Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 10 fish
- Length Limit: none
- Other:
The Cedar River throughout this stretch offers excellent angling opportunities for walleye, smallmouth bass, channel catfish and occasional northern pike. Boat electrofishing catch rates for walleye are good providing abundant numbers of walleye in this stretch of river. There are many access points throughout this stretch of river. Navigation on this entire stretch is good for smaller flat or V-bottom boats with a smaller hp motor or canoe. A fall 2024 electrofishing survey in Bremer County sampled 42 walleye with 55 percent of them equal to or greater than 15 inches long, the largest walleye measuring in at 24 inches. Another fall 2024 electrofishing survey above LaPorte City provided good numbers of channel catfish with decent numbers of walleye, smallmouth bass and shovelnose sturgeon. A sample taken in Black Hawk County above George Wyth State Park revealed a highly abundant population of smallmouth bass with many year classes represented along with a smattering number of walleye.(2025)
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.