Share your catch
US

Turkey River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Northeast Iowa’s Driftless river: the Turkey runs smallmouth through bluffs to the Mississippi.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
2,020 cfs
Air / High
74 / 74 F
Wind
SSE 11 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05412500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Turkey River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 2,020 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 11 mph, falling pressure near 1021 hPa and a high of 74. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:40 AM-11:40 AM and 10:10 PM-12:10 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

WalleyeExcellent

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

MuskellungeExcellent

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Tomorrow: Similar at 72 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Iowa requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $22.00 for residents. What a Iowa licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing smallmouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with Iowa DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Iowa, read off the agency, are on the Iowa seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Turkey River at Garber.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05412500.

3,9077,41010,9142,020 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 107 years of October 23

At 2,020 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 05412500 (Turkey River at Garber) is at the 93rd percentile for the date: much above normal. In half of the 107 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 400 cfs; the highest was 6,500 cfs and the lowest 86 cfs.

p10 169median 400p90 1,476

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 05412500; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp74 F
High / Low74 / 49 F
WindSSE 11-15 mph
Pressure1021.2 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain5% cloud, 6%
Sunrise / Sunset07:28 / 18:10
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)58 F USGS
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Turkey River this week

Today is the pick of the week on Turkey River, at 4 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
9:40 AM-11:40 AM and 10:10 PM-12:10 AM
Minor period
4:03 AM-5:03 AM
Sun
07:28 to 18:10
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 12 mph
Rain chance
6%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

When to come: the Turkey 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 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 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 Turkey River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

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 72 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

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 plus trout fee for tributaries. Smallmouth and catfish limits per current Iowa DNR regulations.

Access

County road crossings, public areas and canoe landings from Elkader toward the Mississippi.

About this water

A 150-mile Driftless river through northeastern Iowa to the Mississippi near Guttenberg, Clayton County.

Fishing Turkey River: the full guide

A river through the bluffs

The Turkey River flows about 150 miles through the Driftless bluff country of northeastern Iowa to the Mississippi near Guttenberg. It runs clear over limestone and gravel through steep valleys, holding smallmouth bass, channel and flathead catfish, northern pike and walleye, with wild trout in the spring-fed tributaries feeding it.

Smallmouth and catfish

Smallmouth hold the rock, riffles and deeper bends, taking tubes, small crankbaits and topwater on light tackle, fished by wading or canoe. Channel catfish are abundant and flatheads grow large in the deeper holes. The river is genuinely productive and sees far less attention than the Mississippi it joins.

Trout in the tributaries

The Driftless tributaries feeding the Turkey hold wild and stocked brown trout in classic spring-creek water: Iowa manages numerous public access easements on them, and combining a morning on a trout stream with an afternoon of smallmouth on the main river is the standard local approach.

Clayton County logistics

Access is via county roads, public areas and canoe landings from Elkader down toward the Mississippi. Elkader and Guttenberg provide services. The Driftless bluffs make it one of Iowa’s more scenic corners, and the river rises quickly with rain but clears within a day or two.

Common questions

Are there trout?

In the spring-fed tributaries, yes: wild and stocked browns with numerous public access easements.

What is the main species?

Smallmouth bass on the rock and riffles, with catfish in the deeper holes.

Is it scenic?

Yes: Driftless bluffs and limestone valleys make it one of Iowa’s more attractive rivers.

Is fishing good at Turkey River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Mississippi River Pool 934 miUpper Iowa River49 miCedar River56 miLake MacBride66 miKickapoo River67 miCoralville Lake71 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 05412500 — Turkey River at Garber
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:15 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 42.7300, -91.2700 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written guide was drafted with AI assistance. Unlike our newer pages, it does not yet list the official pages its facts were checked against: that audit is under way, and anything it cannot verify will be taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.