| Water temperature is the upper 60's throughout the district. Levels are receding. If you have angling questions, please call Bellevue Fisheries Management at 563-880-8781. |
| Water level at Bellevue is receding and near 8.2 feet. Water is clear with the temperature around 67 degrees in the main channel. |
| Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are starting to be reported in flooded backwaters. |
| Walleye - Fair: Small walleyes and sauger can be picked up along rock line especially in the evening hours. Use small jigs. |
| Northern Pike - Fair: More pike are being reported every week. Use gaudy white lures for the best results. |
| Yellow Perch - Good: Some are being caught in tailwaters on small jigs and worm rigs. |
| Rainbow Trout - Fair: Several trout are left in the kids fishing ponds near the Bellevue Fisheries Station. However, it is starting to weed over and soon it will be nearly unfishable. |
| Bowfin - Good: Bowfin are good early season biters. Try backwater areas like the Green Island Wildlife area for some early season fun! |
| Channel Catfish - Excellent: Flooded areas are good place to look for feeding catfish. Fish in areas near the bank with blood baits. |
| Northern Pike - Fair: Use gaudy lures to target pike. |
| Largemouth Bass - Fair: Bass fishing has started slow but seems to be picking up. |
| Freshwater Drum - Good: Egg sinker and worm in moderate current areas work best. |
Excellent Fishery! Mississippi River fisheries are varied with nearly 100 species of fish being present in each Pool. Pool 13 is especially noted for quality Largemouth Bass fishing, sunfish, paddlefish (in season), crappie, and catfish. Some other fisheries are coming on strong as well including smallmouth bass and northern pike. White bass are certainly present and fishing for them has been a little hit or miss in the past few years. Freshwater drum are always a staple and easy to catch in any moderate flowing current areas. (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 .