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Cedar River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Iowa’s smallmouth river: the Cedar runs bass, walleye and catfish through the eastern part of the state.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
2,840 cfs
Air / High
95 / 95 F
Wind
SSW 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05464500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Cedar River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 2,840 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 10 mph, steady pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 95. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 95 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Cedar River at Cedar Rapids.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05464500.

4,2336,8209,4072,840 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp95 F
High / Low95 / 73 F
WindSSW 10-14 mph
Pressure1010.1 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 8%
Sunrise / Sunset06:35 / 19:35
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 95/73 F, wind 11 mph, rain 8%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Cedar River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Cedar River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Cedar River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 95 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 95 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 95 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Iowa requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Iowa license. Smallmouth, walleye and catfish limits per current Iowa DNR regulations.

Access

City parks in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, county areas and road crossings; canoe access in rural reaches.

About this water

A 338-mile river from Minnesota through eastern Iowa to the Iowa River, Linn and Black Hawk counties.

Fishing Cedar River: the full guide

A river through eastern Iowa

The Cedar River flows about 338 miles from Minnesota through eastern Iowa to the Iowa River, passing through Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Cedar Falls. It holds one of Iowa’s better smallmouth populations, along with walleye, channel and flathead catfish, northern pike and white bass, in water that runs over rock and gravel through much of its course.

Smallmouth and walleye

Smallmouth hold the rock, riffles and current breaks, particularly in the reaches above and below the cities where the river runs over limestone: tubes, crankbaits and topwater on light tackle, fished by wading or floating. Walleye hold the deeper holes and below the dams, best at dawn, dusk and after dark.

Catfish and the urban reaches

Channel catfish are abundant throughout and flatheads grow large in the deeper holes and around log jams. The urban reaches through Cedar Rapids and Waterloo offer surprisingly good fishing with easy access from city parks and trails: the dams in town concentrate fish and draw steady local anglers.

Eastern Iowa logistics

Access is via city parks, county areas and road crossings throughout, with canoe floats popular in the rural reaches. Cedar Rapids and Waterloo provide services. The river rises quickly with rain and runs turbid for days: check gauges and fish the clearing water.

Common questions

Where is the best smallmouth water?

The limestone reaches above and below the cities, fished by wading or floating with light tackle.

Is urban fishing good?

Better than expected: the dams in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo concentrate fish, with easy park access.

When does it fish best?

On clearing water after rain: the river muddies quickly and takes days to settle.

Is fishing good at Cedar River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Lake MacBride14 miCoralville Lake19 miTurkey River56 miRed Rock Lake79 miMississippi River Pool 990 miUpper Iowa River100 mi
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