DNR news release The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is currently seeking public comment for the proposed rule making to implement Senate File 2389, passed by the Iowa Legislature in April 2018, allowing the DNR to establish rental fees at state parks and recreation areas. This change eliminates the need for the DNR to go through rule making under the authority of the Natural Resource Commission to establish, change and manage fees for camping, the use of rental facilities and other special privileges in state parks and recreation areas. As part of the legislation, the DNR is required to … Continue reading DNR seeking public comment for proposed rules for state parks and recreation areas

By the Iowa DNR > Cedar River (above Nashua) > Water levels are stabilizing with excellent water clarity. Flows remain high. Backwaters are starting to freeze. Ice fishing is not recommended. Walleye – Good: Find walleye in pockets and deeper water. Fish are taking a variety of bright colored lures or jigs tipped with worms or minnows. Smallmouth Bass -Slow: Use a slow presentation with a small spinnerbait. Northern Pike – Fair: Pike are aggressively taking lures tipped with minnows. > Decorah District Streams > Iowa’s trout season stays open all year long; many catchable size trout stay in the streams to … Continue reading FISHING REPORT: Find walleyes in deeper pockets of Cedar River

By the Iowa DNR Cedar River (above Nashua) Walleye – Good: Use a jig tipped with a twister tail or minnow in deeper water or a spinnerbait in slack water pockets. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Fish midday on overcast days or dawn and dusk. A variety of baits are working. Decorah District Streams Due to marginal stream temperatures, some streams are not stocked during August. Listen to the trout stocking hotline (563-927-5736) for daily information. Brook Trout – Good: A variety of aquatic and terrestrial insects, like ants and beetles, are more numerous. Use care not to spook a feeding fish. Brown Trout – Good: Hendrickson caddis and cranefly hatches are occurring. Crickets are … Continue reading FISHING REPORT: Send your minnow deeper for walleye

Iowa DNR Cedar River (above Nashua) Water levels are on a slight rise, but remain low after recent rain events.  Flows remain high. Visit the USGS Current Water Data website for current water level information. Walleye – Good: Use a jig tipped with a crawler or minnow in slack water pockets. Use a jig tipped with twister tail in deep water drop offs. Channel Catfish – Slow: Target snags for catfish using chicken liver or crawdads fished on bottom. Use stink bait once the water warms. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Use crawdad crankbaits or jigs with twister tails along rocky shorelines. Black Crappie – Slow Use minnows or red worms in shallow snags and … Continue reading FISHING REPORT: To get catfish, try chicken livers

Iowa DNR News Release The DNR’s State Forest Nursery starts accepting orders August 1, so now is the perfect time to check out the online sales site, featuring dozens of quality native Iowa trees and an easy check-out process. Choose from hardwoods, evergreens and smaller trees/shrubs. Orders can be placed now until May 31, with fall and spring delivery windows. Learn more and visit the online State Forest Nursery site today! Continue reading It’s time! Select your trees from the State Forest Nursery

By the Iowa DNR Cedar River (above Nashua) Water levels are stabilizing and low. Flows remain high. Visibility has improved. Walleye – Good: Use a jig tipped with a crawler or minnow in slack water pockets. Use a jig tipped with twister tail in deep water drop offs. Channel Catfish – Slow: Target snags for catfish using stink baits, chicken liver or crawdads fished on bottom. Use stink bait once the water warms. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Use crawdad crankbaits or jigs with twister tails along rocky shorelines. Black Crappie – Slow Use minnows or red worms in shallow snags and slack water. Clear Lake Surface water temperature is 70 degrees. Walleye – Fair: Jig a … Continue reading FISHING REPORT: Try a crawler in slack water on the Cedar

The word from the DNR is that smallmouth bass are gobbling up crawdad crankbaits along rocky shorelines of the Cedar River north of Nashua. Here are fishing reports from the DNR for this week: Clear Lake Surface water temperature is 72 degrees. Walleye – Fair: Jig a minnow or leech above submerged vegetation in 6 to 10 feet of water. Channel Catfish – Good: Use stink bait or cut bait fished on the bottom after sunset. Black Crappie – Good: Try fishing the edge of the vegetation with a jig and minnow. Cedar River (above Nashua) Walleye – Good: Use a jig tipped with a crawler or minnow in slack … Continue reading FISHING REPORT: Smallmouths biting in Cedar

IOWA DNR An estimated 55,000 hunters harvested more than 221,000 roosters in Iowa last fall; a slight decline from 245,000 harvested in 2016. Hunters reported good success across the entire northwest quarter of Iowa. An early look at the 2018 pheasant forecast begins with nesting success which is likely a mixed bag. Parts of southern Iowa are dry while northern Iowa has been inundated with rain. Combined with a late arriving winter is a recipe for a stable to declining pheasant population.  “Our best indicator for the pheasant population is the August roadside survey, but our weather model gives us … Continue reading 2017 Pheasant harvest tops 220,000, 2018 nesting forecast is mixed

News Release Turkey hunters reported harvesting 11,700 Iowa birds this spring, which is 100 birds fewer than were harvested in 2017. Click here for a breakdown by county. Iowa’s spring turkey seasons began April 7 with the youth season and ended on May 20. Hunters purchased nearly 50,000 spring turkey tags. In Chickasaw County, three turkeys were harvested in the fall of 2017 and 105 this spring. In Floyd County, 12 were harvested in the fall, 173 this spring. The county that saw the largest harvest this spring was Clayton County at 457. Hunters can help the DNR with its … Continue reading Hunters bag 11,700 turkeys during 2018 spring season

Iowa Department of Natural Resources news release Iowa’s 2018 reported spring turkey harvest is approaching 9,300 birds. Last year, hunters reported nearly 11,800 turkeys. Iowa’s spring turkey hunting season ends May 20. Annual spring night population survey of deer, skunks, badgers, opossum, red fox, coyotes and other furbearers is wrapping up. The data is used as one factor to estimate Iowa’s deer population and is important for guiding management decisions on furbearers. The survey began in the late 1970s. Two cooperative projects between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Iowa State University are underway – one is evaluating … Continue reading OUTDOORS NOTES: Turkey harvest could come short of last year