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Upper Iowa River Fishing Report

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

Smallmouth, walleye and nearby trout streams in northeast Iowa, with a catch-and-release smallmouth reach below Decorah.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
668 cfs
Air / High
73 / 73 F
Wind
S 13 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05388250, 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.

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

Upper Iowa River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 668 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 13 mph, steady pressure near 1021 hPa and a high of 73. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:41 AM-11:41 AM and 10:11 PM-12:11 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Brown troutExcellent

Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Smallmouth bassGood

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.

WalleyeGood

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.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

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.

Northern pikeGood

The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Tomorrow: Similar at 71 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 Upper Iowa River near Dorchester.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05388250.

9611,5042,047668 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 52 years of October 23

At 668 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 05388250 (Upper Iowa River near Dorchester) is at the 79th percentile for the date: above normal. In half of the 52 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 313 cfs; the highest was 2,280 cfs and the lowest 118 cfs.

p10 163median 313p90 1,297

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 05388250; 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 temp73 F
High / Low73 / 50 F
WindS 13-17 mph
Pressure1020.7 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain16% cloud, 6%
Sunrise / Sunset07:30 / 18:09
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
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 Upper Iowa River this week

The best day on Upper Iowa River this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:41 AM-11:41 AM and 10:11 PM-12:11 AM
Minor period
4:04 AM-5:04 AM
Sun
07:30 to 18:09
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 13 mph
Rain chance
6%

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

Species guide

The species that matter on Upper Iowa 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.

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.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: cool water, from ice-out through spring, in fall and under the ice

A long, duck-billed predator of weedy lakes, slow rivers and backwaters that ambushes fish from vegetation. Wisconsin DNR points out that, unlike most of the state's common game fish, pike do their best feeding in cool water. The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

When to come: the Upper Iowa 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
Catfish (blue, channel)
Northern pike
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
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 Upper Iowa 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. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 11 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 73 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 11 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 fishing license, plus the trout fee to fish for or keep trout. Smallmouth catch-and-release from the Fifth Street bridge in Decorah to the Upper Dam; elsewhere black bass 3 a day combined, 12-inch minimum. Walleye 5 a day; northern pike 3 a day below Decorah; trout 5 a day (Iowa DNR).

Access

Iowa DNR lists boat ramps, carry-down launches and shore fishing along both reaches, with accesses below the Lower Dam down to the Highway 76 bridge. Iowa's designated Upper Iowa water trail covers 119.5 miles.

About this water

A northeast Iowa river through Winneshiek and Allamakee counties to the Mississippi: 79 miles above the Lower Dam and 57 below it (Iowa DNR). Flow is read at USGS gauge 05388250 near Dorchester.

Fishing Upper Iowa River: the full guide

Two reaches on the DNR's map

Iowa DNR splits the Upper Iowa into two fishing reaches. Above Decorah it runs 79 miles from the Minnesota line through Winneshiek County to the Lower Dam, about 11 miles northeast of town, with portages at the Lidtke Mill Dam near Lime Springs and at the Upper and Lower dams. Below the Lower Dam it flows 57 miles through Allamakee County to the Mississippi; the last 8.6 miles are channelized over a sandy-silt bottom.

Smallmouth and walleye

The DNR's species lists put smallmouth bass and walleye first, with northern pike, rock bass, channel catfish, and brown and rainbow trout also present. Its tips: look for smallmouth along rocky shorelines and limestone ledges, and for walleye with a jig and live minnow or nightcrawler in a deeper pool. The DNR records walleye stockings in the reach above Decorah in recent years.

The catch-and-release reach

In Winneshiek County, from the Fifth Street bridge in Decorah downstream to the Upper Dam as posted, every smallmouth must be released. Elsewhere on the river Iowa's interior-stream rule for black bass applies: 3 a day combined and a 12-inch minimum.

Trout streams near Decorah

Two DNR trout streams sit close to the river. Trout Run, whose headwaters lie beside the Decorah Trout Hatchery, and Coldwater Creek are both stocked weekly from April through October with 10- to 12-inch rainbows. Coldwater Creek also holds wild brown trout: a 2011 DNR survey found about 1,593 per mile, some up to 19 inches.

Common questions

Where must smallmouth be released?

From the Fifth Street bridge in Decorah downstream to the Upper Dam, as posted, in Winneshiek County. Everywhere else the 12-inch minimum and 3-bass daily limit apply.

Are there trout nearby?

Yes. Trout Run and Coldwater Creek, both in Winneshiek County, get weekly rainbow stockings from April to October, and Coldwater Creek has wild browns. Pay Iowa's trout fee before you fish for them.

How long is the river in Iowa?

Iowa DNR's two reach pages add up to 136 miles: 79 from the Minnesota line to the Lower Dam and 57 from there to the Mississippi.

Is fishing good at Upper Iowa 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

Mississippi River Pool 922 miLake Onalaska35 miRoot River36 miKickapoo River45 miTurkey River49 miWhitewater River52 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 05388250 — Upper Iowa River near Dorchester
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:00 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.4200, -91.5000 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.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
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 text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was 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.