Home to some 247,000 licensed anglers, there is no question fishing is very popular in Iowa, and for good reason: From catfish to trout, pike to walleye to bass, the Hawkeye State hosts around 150 different species of fish, giving anglers plenty of variety to catch.
Trout is one of anglers' favorite fish to catch in Iowa. They are found in water across the state, although the northeast corner is particularly famous for this pursuit, as it boasts hundreds of miles of pristine trout fishing streams.
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"Iowa boasts some of the most beautiful and plentiful trout streams in the Upper Midwest,"
the Iowa Department of Natural Resources states on its website. "Some are easily accessible in state or county parks, and others are located in some of Iowa's most wild and remote natural spaces. Iowa trout streams offer rainbow, brown and brook trout, both naturally reproducing and stocked."
If you want to fish for trout in Iowa, you'll need to purchase a trout stamp on top of your license. As of 2015, this costs between $13 and $15, depending on whether you are an Iowa resident or not.
Beyond trout, both bass and catfish are popular choices for anglers in Iowa, especially with those on a mission to break a state record. The largest catfish ever hooked in Iowa waters weighed 81 pounds, a record set back in 1958. Anglers have been trying to break it, without success, ever since.
The Iowa largemouth bass record was set in 1984 when a 10-pound, 12-ounce fish was reeled in at Lake Fisher in southeast Iowa. The lake is only 100 acres in size, but according to Iowa Fishing & Game magazine, smaller bodies of water actually give anglers a better chance at hooking a giant bass.
"Discreet small ponds and lakes with healthy populations of shad, bluegills and crappies can often house a respectable number of monster largemouth bass,"
Game & Fish magazine said.
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