General Fishing Regulations

Artificial Light

You may use artificial light to take any fish except species listed as threatened or endangered (Fishing Seasons and Limits).

Bait Definitions

“Bait” includes, but is not limited to, minnows, Green Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, live or dead Gizzard Shad, frogs, crayfish, salamanders and mussels. “Minnows” are chubs, shiners, suckers, dace, stonerollers, mudminnows, redhorse, Bluntnose and Fathead Minnows. You can only take live mussels from the Mississippi River and its connected backwaters. The daily and possession limit is 24 live mussels (Fishing Seasons and Limits). You cannot possess live Gizzard Shad at any lake.

You can use game fish legally caught by hook-and-line for bait. If you transport live bait from one area to another, it must be in clean water.

Bait Collection

You need a valid sport fishing license to collect bait for individual use. You can use minnow traps not more than 3 feet long. Each trap, when in use, must have a metal tag attached plainly labeled with the owner’s name and address. You can use a minnow dip net not larger than 4 feet in diameter, a cast net not larger than 10 feet in diameter and a minnow seine not longer than 20 feet with mesh not smaller than one-quarter inch bar measure.

Crayfish collected from Storm Lake for personal use can only be used in Storm Lake and cannot be transported live from the lake.

You cannot take or try to take bait for commercial purposes from any Iowa waters, or transport minnows without a bait dealer’s license. “Commercial purposes” are selling, giving or furnishing to others. Bait dealers must notify their DNR conservation officer before operating. The licensee must be present with license in hand when bait is collected. Licensed bait dealers may use minnow seines not longer than 50 feet. Licensed bait dealers cannot harvest any crayfish species from Storm Lake.

Bait Dumping

It is against the law to dump bait in Iowa lakes, rivers or streams. Throw away unwanted bait in the trash. If keeping bait, you must exchange water in the bait buckets with tap or bottled water before you leave any waterbody to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (Aquatic Invasive Species).

Boundary Water Sport Trotline

You can use a maximum of four trotlines with 200 hooks with a boundary water sport trotline license in the Mississippi, Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers. All boundary water sport trotlines must have the owner’s name and address on a metal tag attached above the waterline. You cannot sell fish with a boundary water sport trotline license.

Definition of “Limits”

“Daily bag limit” is the number of fish you may harvest in a day. “Possession limit” is the number of fish you can store in your possession until consumed. Fish immediately released unharmed are not part of either limit.

Any fish taken into possession by holding in a live well, on a stringer, or in other fish holding devices is part of the daily bag limit. Once you reach the daily bag limit of a species, you can still fish for that species, but you must immediately release all fish caught.

Culling or Sorting

You cannot sort, cull, high-grade or replace any fish already in your possession. Participants in DNR-permitted Black Bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth or Spotted) and catfish (five fish per boat restriction) tournaments are exempted. Organizers of DNR-permitted catch and release Black Bass fishing tournaments can request exemption to the daily bag and size limit regulations, so participants of these tournaments can possess up to five bass of any length.

Identification of Catch

You cannot transport or possess fish on any waters of the state unless: a) the species can be identified easily by a portion of the skin (at least one square inch) including the scales left on each fish or fillet, and b) the length of fish can be determined when length limits apply. “Any waters of the state” includes from the bank or shoreline in addition to wading and by boat.

Jug Fishing

You cannot use more than two jugs or two hooks on each jug. You cannot leave the jugs in the water unattended by being out of visual sight of them. You can fish with one pole with line and one jug or two jugs and no pole with line. You can fish a third line or jug if you have a valid third line fishing permit.

Fishing Tournament Permits

You need a permit issued by the DNR to conduct a traditional or virtual fishing tournament on public waters under the jurisdiction of the state. Fishing clinics and youth fishing days are excluded. “Fishing tournament” means any organized fishing event, except for department-sponsored fishing events held for educational purposes, involving any of the following: (1) six or more boats or 12 or more participants, except for water of the Mississippi River, where the number of boats is 20 or more and the number of participants is 40 or more; (2) an entry fee is charged; or (3) prizes or other inducement are awarded.

During a virtual fishing tournament, also known as a catch-photo-release tournament, anglers photograph and release fish upon catching instead of keeping them in a live well. An aggregated virtual fishing tournament is similar to a traditional fishing tournament with participants gathering at one location at the same time. A distributed virtual fishing tournament, usually organized as an online contest, occurs on multiple bodies of water and can last up to one year (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31). Only five or fewer participants may be present on any one body of water at the same time.

You must submit your application via the centralized special events application system at www.iowadnr.gov/fishing more than 30 days before the event.

A tournament held on a boundary water (License Agreements with Bordering States) must be permitted by the Iowa DNR for anglers to legally fish Iowa water, regardless in which state the tournament is based.

Fishing Private Waters

Much fishing in Iowa is done on private waters with permission from the property owner. Iowa residents and nonresidents 16 years old and older must have a valid Iowa fishing license to fish private ponds and lakes, and trout streams. Only owners or tenants of land and their children under 18 may fish on such lands without a license. All anglers on private waters must obey rules and regulations governing fishing, including bag limits, except there is no daily bag limit for bluegill or crappie on private waters. Statewide length limits do not apply on private waters.

Just because the DNR stocked a pond, does not open that pond to public fishing. When fishing privately owned waters, ask the property owner for permission to fish, leave the area clean and litter free, do not block lanes and driveways, close any gates opened and do not damage fences.

Frogs — Catching & Selling

You cannot use any device, net, barrier or fence which stops frogs from having free access to and from the water. You cannot transport any frogs taken in Iowa across state lines. You can buy, sell or possess frogs or any portion of their carcasses that have been taken legally and shipped in from outside the state with a bait dealer’s license. Frogs may be used for food or bait. You can catch frogs on your own land for your own private use.

Hooks

When fishing by hook-and-line, you cannot use more than two lines or more than two hooks on each line when still fishing or trolling. When fly fishing, you cannot use more than two flies on one line. When you are trolling and bait casting, you cannot use more than two trolling spoons or artificial baits on one line. You can use a third line if you have a valid third line fishing permit. You cannot leave fishing line or lines with hooks in the water unattended by being out of visual sight of the lines. One hook is a single, double or treble-pointed hook, and all hooks attached as a part of an artificial bait or lure are counted as one hook. An Alabama (umbrella) rig is not an artificial bait or lure.

Ice Fishing Shelters

Ice fishing shelters left unattended on land or water under the jurisdiction of the state, must have the owner’s name, street address and city in 4-inch or larger block letters (in a color contrasting to their background) on all sides, but do not need to be registered. Attach reflectors to all sides of any shelter left on the ice after sundown. Keep shelters unlocked while in use. Remove shelters from all state-owned lands and waters by Feb. 20 or ice melt, whichever comes first, unless the deadline is extended.

Showing License & Catch to Officer

When requested, you must show your license (printed or saved on your phone) and any required fee to any conservation or law enforcement officer or to the owner or person in legal control of the land or water you are fishing. You also must show your catch to the conservation officer if asked.

Mussel Taking

See Fishing Seasons and Limits for possession limit. Licensed anglers and children younger than 16 years of age may lawfully take and possess mussel species other than those listed as threatened or endangered (Fishing Seasons and Limits). Zebra mussels (Aquatic Invasive Species) shall not be taken or possessed. Native mussels in the Mississippi River often have zebra mussels attached to them. Remove zebra mussels by scrubbing with a stiff brush before any native mussels are transported.

Prohibited Stocking

You cannot stock or introduce any live fish, except for hooked bait (see Bait Definitions above), into public waters without the permission of the director of the DNR. Unauthorized stocking leads to the introduction of undesirable fish species such as Gizzard Shad, Yellow Bass, Common Carp and Asian Carp. When these species are stocked they cause ecological and economic harm by displacing beneficial native plants and animals, and destroying the quality of the fishery resource. You cannot possess live Gizzard Shad at any lake. This does not apply to privately-owned ponds and lakes.

Tip-Up Fishing Device

A “tip-up” is an ice fishing device with an attached flag or signal to show fishing action, used to hold fishing line and a hook. You may fish a combination of one tip-up and one additional line, or two tip-ups and no additional lines. You can use an additional line or tip-up if you have a third line fishing permit.

When fishing the Mississippi, Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers and their connected backwaters, the following regulations apply: you can use up to three tip-up fishing devices. You can use two or three hooks on the same line, but the total number of hooks each person uses cannot exceed three. Each tip-up fishing device must have a tag attached, plainly labeled with the owner’s name and address. You cannot use a tip-up fishing device within 300 feet of a dam or spillway or in a part of the river which is closed or posted against use of the device. Three tip-up fishing devices may be used in addition to two lines with no more than two hooks per line.

Trotlines

“Trotlines” as used in this section refers to lines commonly called “tagged lines,” “throw lines,” “banklines,” “ditty lines,” “ditty poles” and other names.

You can use trotlines in all Iowa rivers and streams, except those in Mitchell, Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee, Fayette, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson counties. Trotlines may be used in the above nine counties only in the following stream sections: Mississippi River; Maquoketa River, mouth to Backbone State Park dam; North Fork Maquoketa River, mouth to Jones-Dubuque county line; Turkey River, mouth to Elkader dam; and Upper Iowa River, mouth to the first dam upstream in Winneshiek County.

You cannot use more than five trotlines with a valid sport fishing license. These trotlines cannot have more than 15 hooks total. Each separate line must have a tag attached, plainly labeled with the owner’s name and address. You must check the line at least once every 24 hours. Remove all trotlines and parts from the shore if they are not being actively fished. A trotline is considered actively fished if at least once daily the trotline is left with at least one baited hook in the water. You cannot use trotlines in a stocked lake or within 300 feet of a dam or spillway, or in a stream or portion of stream which is closed or posted against its use. One end of the line must be set from the shore and visible above the shore waterline. You cannot set the line entirely across a stream or body of water. Any conservation officer can remove untagged or unlawful lines.

Turtles

You can take and possess a maximum of 100 pounds of live turtles or 50 pounds of dressed turtles with a valid sport fishing license. It is illegal to sell turtles taken on a sport fishing license. You must have a commercial turtle license to sell turtles, including parts and eggs. You cannot take turtle eggs from the wild.

Nonresidents can only take common snapping turtles, spiny softshells, smooth softshells and painted turtles from the Missouri, Mississippi and Big Sioux Rivers. Nonresidents cannot take any other turtles or crayfish anywhere else in the state.

Residents can take common snapping turtles, spiny softshells, smooth softshells and painted turtles.

See Fishing Seasons and Limits for turtle season dates and catch limits.

Turtles can only be taken by hand, turtle hook, turtle trap or hook-and-line. You cannot sort, cull, high-grade or replace any turtle in your possession. Turtle traps must have no more than one throat or funneling device. All turtle traps must have a functional escape hole with a minimum diameter in all directions of 7-1/2 inches to let fish and small turtles pass through. The 7-1/2 inch escape hole on hoop style traps must be in the last hoop to the tail-line. Any unattended gear used to take turtles must have an all-weather gear tag with the owner’s name and address. All turtle traps must be lifted and emptied of their catch at least once every 72 hours.

Unlawful Means

You can use gaff hooks or landing nets to help you land fish. You cannot use a gaffe hook or other penetrating device to help you land a snagged paddlefish You cannot use any grab hook, snag hook, any kind of net, seine, trap, firearm, dynamite or other explosives, or poisonous or stupefying substances, lime, ashes, electricity or hand fishing to take or try to take any fish.

You must return to the water immediately all game fish not hooked in the mouth, except Paddlefish, with as little injury as possible.

Bow Fishing & Spearing

You can take nongame fish and frogs by bow and arrow and spear with a valid sport fishing license. Bow fishing and spearing are allowed on public lakes, reservoirs and rivers, private ponds with permission and border waters described on License Agreements with Bordering States. Some state parks, federal refuges and lakes controlled by city and county governments may have additional regulations specific to bow fishing and spearing.

Bow Fishing, Spearing & Snagging

A valid sport fishing license lets you take Common Carp, Bighead Carp, Silver Carp, Grass Carp, Black Carp, Bigmouth Buffalo, Smallmouth Buffalo, Black Buffalo, Quillback, Highfin Carpsucker, River Carpsucker, Spotted Sucker, White Sucker, Shorthead Redhorse, Golden Redhorse, Silver Redhorse, Freshwater Drum, Shortnose Gar, Longnose Gar, Bowfin, Gizzard Shad and Goldfish by snagging, bow fishing and spearing and Paddlefish (Fishing Seasons and Limits) by snagging. You cannot use a hook larger than a 5/0 treble hook or measuring more than 1 ¼ inches long when two of the hook points are placed on a ruler.