We have had a wet month of May, with the Des Moines area reporting over 6" of rain during that period and other parts of the state receiving well over 10" of rain to help ease our drought conditions we have experienced over the past five years.
This has allowed our pond fishing to remain good as there is plenty of water for our urban and farm pond fish. It has made some of our river fishing difficult, at least with artificial flies, due to dirty water that is; in some cases, raging and deadly. If you are considering floating our Iowa rivers, please talk to someone with experience on your particular water before you go, because some of our waters have been downright treacherous over the past couple of weeks.
With that being said, our Iowa summer is shaping up to have our streams with more water, and more water generally means more happy fish.
Trout fishing has been very good over the past month. There have been instances of some Driftless streams turning a lovely chocolate milk color from heavy rains, which definitely makes fishing difficult for a day or two, but thankfully we have so many streams in our Driftless region that there are usually a few fishable streams available if you are willing to drive around and find them.
We are getting the raft out a bit lately to get some river floats in, as well as getting some quality time on the stand-up paddleboards. Reach out to us if you're interested in a float trip, or if you have questions about what it is like fly fishing from a paddleboard.
This summer should be a great one. Contact us if you're interested in learning how to fly fish, floating a new river, or trying to target new species on the fly. It is Free Fishing weekend in Iowa (June 7-9), so make sure you are spending time in the outdoors.
Tight lines, hope to see you on the water.
Fishing Report
Click here for the Iowa DNR's Fishing Report (06/06/2024)
Local Reservoirs: Water temps are on the rise, with some readings coming in at over 70 degrees. Be sure to focus on mornings and evenings, or find a cloudy day to chase some fish. Top water bite has been really good so far this year.
Local Ponds: Largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie should all be finishing up spawning or entering post spawn mode here. While some bluegill will spawn multiple times a year, the major spawning even is about complete. As it gets HOT outside, focus on targeting ponds in the mornings or on a day after a good, cool rain event. Check the DNR's fish local page for a list of public waterbodies to explore.
Des Moines River: Big. Fast. Dirty. Fish around for sure but for the wading fly angler, fairly limited opportunities. Find slack water next to some current and find ways to get your flies down, and you might find yourself with a walleye, drum, white bass, or another mystery fish on the end of your line.
Driftless Trout Streams (NE Iowa):
Starting to see fish willing to eat some caddis and terrestrial dry fly patterns. Your best bet in off colored water situations is either attractor nymphs like pink squirrel or pheasant tail nymphs or little leech streamers.
Be sure to start carrying a thermometer as our summer temperatures begin to increase. Anything above 72 is a no-go for trout.
~GUIDED FLY FISHING IN IOWA~
flyfishIA.com
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