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Iowa waters teem with unprecedented numbers of fish–west to east from big river to big river–and the lakes, rivers and streams in-between. Enticing a fish to bite your hook is always fun, and can be relaxing or challenging as you decide to make it.
No matter where you live, you're just a few minutes away from outdoor fun with dozens of easy to get to stocked lakes and ponds in parks and along trails.
Getting outdoors and fishing is a little different for everyone. Iowa’s many waterways are the perfect backdrop to ponder life’s biggest questions, or ignore them completely, all while reeling in a few keepers.
Back to topWhere to Fish
Find hundreds of easy to get to stocked lakes and ponds in parks and along trails. No matter where you live, you're just a few minutes away from outdoor fun and a relaxing time with friends and family. You'll find plenty of opportunities to fish in Iowa in our
Lakes, Ponds and Reservoirs
Many of Iowa’s thousands of lakes and ponds number are stocked and managed by the Iowa DNR, offering abundant fishing, especially of panfish like: crappie and bluegill. Several lakes are fishing destinations for muskie, northern pike, and walleye.
Interior Rivers
Head to one of Iowa’s rivers or streams to catch a dozen or more different species, including prized-size catfish, walleye and smallmouth bass in one trip. Iowa’s interior rivers are known for growing large-sized fish, and lots of them.
Trout Streams
Northeast Iowa is a regional destination for exceptional trout fishing. Find both stocked and naturally occurring trout in the breathtaking forests and streams of this part of the state.
Mississippi River
Iowa’s eastern border river, the Mississippi River, is nationally known for backwater fishing for Largemouth bass, catfish, panfish, pike and walleye. It is the best fishery in Iowa for abundance and diversity of fish species. Dozens of access points are available for boaters and anglers.
Missouri River
On the western border, the Missouri River offers excellent fishing for catfish and sauger. The southern part of the river is one of the only places in Iowa to catch blue catfish.
Back to topFishing Atlas
The interactive Fishing Atlas map shows contours for 218 county and state lakes, along with 2,500 fish structure locations. It also includes road maps, lake amenities and topography. Quickly zoom in on the lake of your choice with the search function.
Back to topMetro Favorites
Check out some fishing hot spots in the communities listed below. If your regular fishing location is popular and busy, try out a new one where less people are fishing or come back at a time that is not so busy like early morning or later at night.
Grab your family and your poles, get away from daily life stresses, and catch a few moments you’ll never want to release.
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.
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