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Independence to Anamosa. The Wapsi: smallmouth, walleye and pike between the mill dams. The river tops out around 10 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 the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The outline encloses 2,898 acres, worked by 115.8 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. A development index of 15.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Call it 40.5 mi long by 4.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. Linn County claims this one. If the bite dies, Maquoketa River is 15 mi to the east.
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 10 ft. Start at Troy Mills riffles. It's a rock pile holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Troy Mills riffles (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Troy Mills riffles (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Troy Mills riffles (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Troy Mills riffles (5 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 3 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Spring walleye concentrate at Dam tailrace, a prime-rated dam tailrace around 9 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & night | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Independence dam: a creek channel around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 23.9) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Independence dam (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Independence dam (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Independence dam (8 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rock bass in 2 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. The spot to know is Troy Mills riffles, a rock pile in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in spring. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Troy Mills riffles (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Troy Mills riffles (5 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Troy Mills riffles (5 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Troy Mills riffles (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Early season common carp use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 10 ft. The chart's best answer is Tailout eddy (mile 23.9) — eddy pocket, 6 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam tailrace (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Independence dam (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 23.9) (6 ft) |
34 pieces of structure are mapped here — Dam tailrace, around 9 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Iowa DNR — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Iowa waters are set by the Iowa DNR — and special regulations can apply to Wapsipinicon River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Iowa fishing regulations →
Wapsipinicon River is about 10 ft (3 m) deep 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.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, rock bass, common carp on Wapsipinicon River.
Troy Mills riffles is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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.
Fishing on Wapsipinicon River is regulated by the Iowa DNR. Check the official Iowa regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Maquoketa River 15 mi · Pleasant Creek Lake 16 mi · Silver Lake (Delaware) 17 mi · Prairie Park Fishery 23 mi · Cedar River 24 mi · Rodgers Park Lake 26 mi · Central Park Lake 26 mi · Fontana Mill Lake 28 mi · Lake Macbride 34 mi · Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake) 37 mi · Meyers Lake 38 mi · Turkey River 39 mi
See how Wapsipinicon River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Iowa · best walleye lakes in Iowa · best channel catfish lakes in Iowa · best common carp lakes in Iowa
Browse all Iowa fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.