Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Turkey River
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Turkey River: what the data says
Elkader to the Mississippi backwaters at Millville. northeast Iowa's driftless smallmouth float. The river tops out around 9 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Turkey River
Spring smallmouth bass on Turkey River hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 0.3), a eddy pocket in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Walleye fishing at Turkey River
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Volga River confluence (Garber), a inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Channel Catfish fishing at Turkey River
Spring channel catfish on Turkey River hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Volga River confluence (Garber) is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Elkader Milldam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 8 ft
- Elkader dam: creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 5.9): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 9.3): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 13.0): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 15.2): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 21.1): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 23.5): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 26.0): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 28.5): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 31.3): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Volga River confluence (Garber): inflow / creek mouth, around 6 ft
- Tailout eddy (mile 0.3): eddy pocket, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Turkey River?
Turkey River is about 9 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Turkey River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish on Turkey River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Turkey River?
Volga River confluence (Garber) is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Turkey River?
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Silver Lake (Delaware) · Maquoketa River · Volga Lake · Wapsipinicon River · Central Park Lake · Upper Iowa River
See how Turkey River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best channel catfish lakes in Iowa
Browse all Iowa fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.