Upper Iowa River Fishing Map (IA)

Fishing Upper Iowa River: what the data says

Decorah to near New Albin The river tops out around 6 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Upper Iowa River

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 2 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Riffle & run (mile 48.6) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	2 to 6 ft	midday & dawn	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Upper Iowa River

Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 2 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 44.2): a current seam around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	2 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	1 to 6 ft	dawn	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Walleye fishing at Upper Iowa River

In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. The spot to know is Riffle & run (mile 48.6), a rock pile in about 3 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 6 ft	dusk & dawn	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dusk & dawn	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	2 to 6 ft	dusk & night	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	2 to 6 ft	dusk & dawn	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Channel Catfish fishing at Upper Iowa River

Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 2 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): a creek channel around 5 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window
Spring	2 to 6 ft	dusk
Summer	2 to 6 ft	night & dusk
Fall	2 to 6 ft	dusk
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday

Rock Bass fishing at Upper Iowa River

Start shallow in spring: rock bass sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Riffle & run (mile 48.6): a rock pile around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dawn	1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dusk	Ned rig (small), Marabou jig
Fall	2 to 6 ft	midday	Small tube jig, Inline spinner
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday	Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike

Notable structure

Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 5.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 8.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 12.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 14.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 17.4): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 20.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 24.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 28.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 34.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 38.0): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 40.2): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 42.0): creek channel, around 5 ft

Common questions

How deep is Upper Iowa River?

Upper Iowa River is about 6 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 Upper Iowa River?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, rainbow trout, rock bass on Upper Iowa River.

Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Iowa River?

Riffle & run (mile 48.6) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Upper Iowa 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

Lake Meyer · Volga Lake · Turkey River · Fontana Mill Lake · Silver Lake (Delaware) · Lake Hendricks

See how Upper Iowa 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.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Upper Iowa River

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Upper Iowa River on the board.