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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 5, 2019
Enjoy the spectacular colors and cool weather this fall fishing in northeast Iowa’s hundreds of miles of trout streams. From easily accessible streams in state or county parks, to those found in Iowa’s most wild and remote natural spaces, there are plenty of places to catch rainbow, brown and brook trout.
Northeast Iowa draws thousands of anglers from across Iowa to its coldwater streams and excellent trout fishing.
“It’s a busy place this time of year,” said Mike Steuck, Iowa DNR fisheries supervisor for interior streams. “Anglers can test their skills with lots of wild fish in these streams.”
View some of the best fall colors in the narrow valley of Little Paint, west of Harpers Ferry. Look for trout behind larger boulders and under rock ledges. Let your lure or bait drift around the boulders and just in front of the ledges.
Catch stream-reared brown trout up to 16 inches and 10- to 12-inch stocked rainbow trout in the Maquoketa River. Miles of public access spots line the river in Clayton and Delaware counties. Find rainbow trout in pools and runs while brown trout will be near wood habitat.
The best chance to catch all three trout species in one trip is at Spring Branch Creek, southeast of Manchester. There is great public access to more than 1.5 miles of coldwater stream.
Learn to “read” a stream, to identify habitats that offer food and cover. Trout are not randomly scattered in a stream. They locate themselves along the edge of the current flow near protective cover. The stream current carries food to the trout while it waits.
Trout try to bulk up in the fall for winter and are always hungry. Brown and brook trout lay their eggs in nests called redds in October and November. The eggs stay in these areas of cleaned gravel on the stream bottom until they hatch in late winter or early spring. Be careful where you walk to avoid stepping in or directly above these nests.
“Brown trout are wary, be as quiet and hidden as you can,” said Steuck. “If you can see them, they have already seen you and probably will not bite.”
Fish overcast and gray days when using spin fishing gear. Trout are less wary of lures at this time. If fly fishing, target midday on sunny and bright days. In cooler fall temperatures, bright warm days can stimulate an insect hatch. Dry flies can still be productive, but the insect hatches become more sporadic and less intense than in the summer.
Iowa’s trout season is open all year. Iowa’s trout streams are too. About 105 coldwater trout streams await anglers in ten northeast Iowa counties.
Anglers need to have a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. The daily limit is five trout per licensed angler with a possession limit of ten.
Learn more about Iowa’s trout streams, including maps and amenities, and tips and tricks to catch trout on the Iowa DNR’s website at www.iowadnr.gov/trout.
Media Contact: Mike Steuck, regional fisheries supervisor, northeast Iowa, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 563-927-3276.
DES MOINES – Beginning farmers have the opportunity to manage DNR land through the DNR’s Agriculture Lease Program in 2020, in part to legislation passed in 2013.
The list of 2020 leases can be found here: https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/About-DNR/Realty-Services.
To participate in the Beginning Farmer program, the producer must be a permanent resident of Iowa, have appropriate skills and have a net worth of less than $680,590. The participant must also be certified as a beginning farmer by the Iowa Finance Authority. Applications are available at http://www.iowafinanceauthority.gov/Public/Pages/PC210LN48 and https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/About-DNR/Realty-Services
Beginning farmers are encouraged to examine the lease details carefully as most DNR leases also include requirements such as planting food plots or restricting forage cutting dates that are not typical of standard agricultural lease agreements. All DNR leased land is managed for wildlife habitat. Land quality varies from moderate to good, but most have some farming challenges, such as limited access, potential to flood or small fields.
MEDIA CONTACT: Luke Kramme, DNR Realty Specialist, (515) 725-8460, or luke.kramme@dnr.iowa.gov
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Fish Iowa! angler education program has partnered with the Recreational Fishing and Boating Foundation’s (RBFF) Vamos A Pescar™ program to provide funding to local 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations to support local efforts to educate and engage families in high-density Hispanic communities through programs, classes and fishing activities. Minimum grant request is $5,000 with a 1:1 cash match required.
The George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund and Fish Iowa! will provide funds for programming between Feb. 1 and Nov. 1, 2020. Applications must be submitted via email no later than Dec. 6, 2019. For grant guidelines and applications, contact Barb Gigar at Barb.Gigar@dnr.iowa.gov.
Media Contact: Barb Gigar, training specialist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-494-3891.
FORT ATKINSON, Iowa – The National Park Service (NPS) has awarded Fort Atkinson State Preserve in Winneshiek County with a $497,500 grant as part of its Save America’s Treasures program. The grant award was announced by the NPS in September.
Fort Atkinson is a nationally significant military post from the 1840s now managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as a state preserve. The historic site includes several original buildings such as barracks and a gunpowder house, along with archeologically significant artifacts.
“We are pleased to receive funding to help restore this site, which is home to a unique part of Iowa’s history,” said Todd Coffelt, DNR Parks, Forests and Preserves Bureau chief. “We look forward to working with local community members and those with a passion for Iowa history to make this project a success.”
Originally built by the U.S. government from 1840 to 1842, federal troops occupied Fort Atkinson for military purposes until 1849. The fort featured prominently in the removal of Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) people from their ancestral lands.
The NPS grant will be used to assess and repair four buildings at the historic fort during the next three years. More information about the NPS Save America’s Treasures grant program can be found at https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/national-park-service-institute-of-museum-and-library-services-national-endowment-for-the-arts-and-national-endowment-for-the-humanities-announce-12-6-million-in-save-america-s-treasures-grants.htm
Media Contact: Todd Coffelt, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Parks, Forests and Preserves Bureau chief, 515-725-8485.
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