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Fishing Wapsipinicon River: what the data says
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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Wapsipinicon River
Spring smallmouth bass on Wapsipinicon River hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Troy Mills riffles, a rock pile 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. 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 | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Walleye fishing at Wapsipinicon River
Spring walleye on Wapsipinicon River hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Dam tailrace, a dam tailrace in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Channel Catfish fishing at Wapsipinicon River
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Independence dam is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for summer channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday |
Rock Bass fishing at Wapsipinicon River
Spring rock bass on Wapsipinicon River hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. 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. Best bite is the evening. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Common Carp fishing at Wapsipinicon River
Spring common carp on Wapsipinicon River hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Tailout eddy (mile 23.9) is the standout, a eddy pocket at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for winter common carp. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Anamosa Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Central City Milldam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Quasqueton Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Independence dam: creek channel, around 8 ft
- Anamosa dam: creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 9.3): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 15.2): creek channel, around 8 ft
Common questions
How deep is Wapsipinicon River?
Wapsipinicon River is about 10 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 Wapsipinicon River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, common carp, rock bass on Wapsipinicon River.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Wapsipinicon 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
Maquoketa River · Pleasant Creek Lake · Silver Lake (Delaware) · Prairie Park Fishery · Fontana Mill Lake · Cedar River
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 every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.