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Iowa waters teem with unprecedented numbers of fish–west to east from big river to big river–and the lakes, rivers and streams in-between. Enticing a fish to bite your hook is always fun, and can be relaxing or challenging as you decide to make it.
Getting outdoors and fishing is a little different for everyone. Iowa’s many waterways are the perfect backdrop to ponder life’s biggest questions, or ignore them completely, all while reeling in a few keepers.
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This weekly fishing forecast can be emailed directly to your inbox every Thursday, sign up today for fishing information from Iowa’s fisheries experts.
Fishing Atlas
Plan your fishing trip with the mobile-friendly Iowa Fishing Atlas. Browse hundreds of river accesses and county and state managed lake contours, miles of trout streams, over 2,000 fish structures, community fishing ponds, and Mississippi River Lock and Dam locations.
Back to topDownloadable Fish Structures Files for GPS
Iowa DNR maintains a catalog of habitat structures installed in Iowa lakes. This data is available via downloadable GPX files (east and west split along the I-35 corridor).
How to download and use the fishing structure file for GPS units (Windows 10)
- Left click on one of the Catalog of Habitat Structures links above.
- Open File Explorer using the menu bar on the Windows Desktop. Make sure you see a file named “StructuresIowa” in the download folder in File Explorer.
- Open the software your GPS unit uses. For example, if you are using a Humminbird depth finder, you need to open the Humminbird PC software to open the “StructuresIowa” file. Note: Lowrance Fish Finders do not have a software package, you need to use Google Earth.
- Open the “StructuresIowa” file from the download folder using the GPS software and save to an SD card.
- Insert the SD card into the GPS unit or upload the “StructuresIowa” file as shown in the instructional manual of the GPS unit.
- The saved files "StructuresIowaEast2025.gpx" and "StructuresIowaWest2025.gpx" should be universally useable on most GPS units
Metro Favorites
Find hundreds of easy to get to stocked lakes and ponds in parks and along trails. No matter where you live, you're just a few minutes away from outdoor fun and a relaxing time with friends and family. Have fun and "fish local" today!
Eating Iowa Caught Fish
Most Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if eaten. Over 4.5 million meals of Iowa fish were eaten in 2018. Some limitations of eating fish may apply for young children and pregnant women. Fish are a good source of nutrients that promote healthy child development and is also part of a healthy diet.
Pregnant women, women wanting to become pregnant, breastfeeding mothers, and children under 12 years of age should monitor their fish consumption to ensure they are selecting fish that are low in mercury.
Back to topResources
It’s so easy to buy your fishing or hunting license online, or visit local retailers and bait shops to buy your hunting or fishing licenses today.