| Catchable trout stocking occurring weekly but streams announced once a month. Trout streams are in excellent condition. Flows remain elevated. Gnats and mosquitoes common. Caddis fly and mayfly hatches becoming more numerous especially on warm sunny afternoons. |
| Brook Trout - Fair: A variety of insect hatches occurring. Use care not to alarm fish when approaching stream with clear water. |
| Brown Trout - Good: Fish near or around undercut banks. Spinner baits work well especially in windy conditions. Try using streamers on larger waterbodies for some exciting action. Brown trout prefer slightly off color water. |
| Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Use spinner baits, hair jigs, or hooks tipped with a small piece of worm, dough ball, or cheese floated through deeper water. Use bait if keeping fish. |
A low density brown trout population is present in Bear Creek in Bixby State Preserve and some adjacent private lands. Access to private lands is by landowner permssion only.(2025)
In nearly all cases, Iowa fish are safe to eat. Cleaning and/or preparing the meal causes most of the problems regarding taste or color of fish. Like all living creatures, fish are susceptible to diseases, parasites, and other naturally occurring conditions in the water. If you suspect your fish is affected by any of these conditions, do not eat it. Consider eating smaller and younger fish which usually have lower levels of contaminants than larger ones. Most contaminants accumulate in larger, older fish. For additional information, check out our resources for eating and cooking Iowa caught fish.
To learn more about fish tissue monitoring, visit our Fish Tissue Monitoring page .