Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-81.2 - Exceptions to seasons and limits, set in 81.1(481A)
(1) Exception closed season. In Lakes West
Okoboji and East Okoboji and Spirit Lake, there shall be a closed season on
walleye beginning February 15 each year. The annual opening for walleye in
these three lakes shall be the first Saturday in May. In these three lakes
there shall be an open season on muskellunge and tiger muskie from May 21
through November 30.
(2) Black
bass. The department may post season, bag or possession limits, length limits,
and catch and release regulations specific to a body of water at that body of
water. For bodies of water without posted regulations, the following
regulations apply to black bass:
a. A 15-inch
minimum length limit shall apply on black bass in all public lakes.
b. A 12-inch minimum length limit shall apply
on black bass in all interior streams, river impoundments, and the Missouri
River including chutes and backwaters of the Missouri River where intermittent
or constant flow from the river occurs.
c. A 14-inch minimum length limit shall apply
to the Mississippi River including chutes and backwaters where intermittent or
constant flow from the river occurs.
(3) Walleye.
a.
West Okoboji, East Okoboji,
Spirit, Upper Gar, Minnewashta, and Lower Gar Lakes in Dickinson County, Storm
Lake in Buena Vista County, Clear Lake in Cerro Gordo County, and Big Creek
Lake in Polk County. The daily bag limit shall be three, with a
possession limit of six.
b.
Length limits. Length limits shall apply on walleye in public
waters that have length limits posted or published.
(4) Paddlefish snagging is permitted in
waters of the state designated in rule
571-81.1 (481A), except as
follows:
a. There shall be no open season
above the Interstate 29 bridge in the Big Sioux River, nor in any tributary of
this stream within 200 yards immediately upstream of a tributary
confluence.
b. Snagging for
paddlefish on the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers is limited to Iowa waters only,
beginning in the Big Sioux River below the Interstate 29 bridge to the Big
Sioux River's confluence with the Missouri River and in the Missouri River,
including all backwaters and sloughs and any tributary of the Missouri River at
its confluence and extending below its Interstate 29 bridge, beginning at the
Big Sioux River confluence and extending to the Hamburg Landing boat ramp.
(1) There shall be an open season from
February 1 through April 30.
(2)
Snagging hours are from sunrise to sunset.
(3) The bag limit is one paddlefish per
paddlefish fishing license.
(4) The
paddlefish fishing license quota is 950 for resident anglers and 50 for
nonresident anglers. Licenses shall be issued on a first-come, first-served
basis. A person may purchase one paddlefish fishing license from December 15
through December 31 and either a first or second license between January 1 and
January 7. No duplicate license or transportation tag shall be issued after the
start of the season.
(5) Each
angler fishing for paddlefish and any species listed in subrule 81.2(11) on the
Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers shall have a valid paddlefish fishing license and
unused tag . All snagged fish except for a species listed in subrule 81.2(11) or
a legal paddlefish taken into possession shall immediately be released
alive.
(6) Immediately upon an
angler's taking into possession a legal paddlefish, a valid current year
transportation tag issued with the license shall be visibly attached to the
fish's lower jaw. The tag must be attached in such a manner that it cannot be
removed without mutilating or destroying the tag . An angler shall not possess a
paddlefish fishing license or transportation tag issued to another angler or
tag a paddlefish with a transportation tag issued to another angler. The
transportation tag shall be attached before the carcass can be moved in any
manner from the place of harvest. The transportation tag shall remain affixed
to the paddlefish until the paddlefish is processed for consumption. The
paddlefish shall remain intact except for the snout in front of the eye until
the fish reaches the final processing place. For the purposes of this subrule,
the "final processing place" is defined as the angler's residence or the
location where consumption occurs. The transportation tag shall be proof of
possession of the carcass by the above-mentioned licensee . During the closed
season, the possession of paddlefish on the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers is
prohibited unless the paddlefish are legally taken in Nebraska or South
Dakota.
(7) No hooks larger than
5/0 treble or measuring more than 1 % inches in length when two of the hook
points are placed on a ruler are permitted when snagging.
(8) A gaffe hook or other penetrating device
may not be used as an aid in the landing of a snagged fish.
c. Snagging for paddlefish on the
Mississippi River is restricted to the area within 500 yards below the
navigation dams and their spillways. No hooks larger than 5/0 treble or
measuring more than 1% inches in length when two of the hook points are placed
on a ruler are permitted when snagging. The open season on the Mississippi
River is the period from March 1 through April 15.
d. Except during the Missouri and Big Sioux
Rivers open paddlefish fishing season, snagging for paddlefish is not permitted
at any time in those areas where snagging is prohibited as a method of take as
listed in subrule 81.2(11).
e. On
the Mississippi River, a 33-inch maximum length limit shall apply; any
paddlefish measuring 33 inches or more when measured from the front of the eye
to the natural unaltered fork of the tail must immediately be released alive.
On the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers and on each Missouri River tributary from
its confluence and extending to below its Interstate 29 bridge, a 3 5-inch to
45-inch protected-slot limit shall apply; a paddlefish measuring 35 inches to
45 inches when measured from the front of the eye to the natural unaltered fork
of the tail shall immediately be released alive. To measure a paddlefish, the
angler shall use a flexible tape and measure along and over the center line
contour of the fish while it is lying flat.
(5) Trout regulations. The department may
post season, bag or possession limits, length limits, catch and release
regulations, and tackle restrictions specific to a body of water at that body
of water. On bodies of water posted as artificial lure only, "artificial lure"
means lures that do not contain or have applied to them any natural or
synthetic substances designed to attract fish by the sense of taste or smell.
For bodies of water without posted regulations, the following regulations apply
to trout:
a. Open season is
continuous.
b. A five-fish daily
bag limit and ten-fish possession limit shall apply to any combination of brown
trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, and their hybrids.
c. A trout fee is required to fish for and
possess trout.
(6)
Exception border lakes. In Little Spirit Lake, Dickinson County; Iowa and
Turtle (Okamanpedan) Lakes, Emmet County; Burt (Swag) Lake, Kossuth County; and
Iowa Lake, Osceola County, the following species have a continuous open season
and daily bag and possession limits as set forth below:
a. Walleye-daily bag and possession limit
3;
b. Northern pike-daily bag and
possession limit 3;
c. Largemouth
and smallmouth bass-daily bag and possession limit 3;
d. Channel catfish-daily bag and possession
limit 8;
e. Yellow perch-daily bag
and possession limit 25;
f.
Crappie species-combined daily bag and possession limit 25;
g. Sunfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed, green
sunfish, orangespotted sunfish, longear sunfish, warmouth, and
hybrids)-combined daily bag and possession limit 25;
h. White bass, yellow bass, bullhead, common
carp, bowfin, suckers, sheepshead, buffalo, gar and quillback-no daily bag or
possession limit;
i.
Muskellunge-daily bag and possession limit one. Open season shall be May 21
through November 30. A 40-inch minimum length limit shall apply on all border
lakes;
j. Spears and bow and arrow
may be used to take carp, buffalo, bowfin, gar, sheepshead, and quillback
carpsucker with a continuous open season;
k. All species not listed above are subject
to the inland regulations of the state and have a continuous open
season.
(7) DeSoto Bend
Lake. All fishers shall conform with federal refuge regulations as posted under
the authority of Section 33.19 of Title 50 CFR. The text of the rules will be
contained on the signs as posted.
(8) General restriction. Anglers must comply
with the most restrictive set of regulations applicable to the water on which
they are fishing. Where length limits apply, fish less than the legal length
must be immediately released into the water from which they were
caught.
(9) Catfish. For the
purpose of this rule, stream catfish bag and possession limits apply at the
federal flood control impoundments of Rathbun Lake, Red Rock Lake, Saylorville
Lake, and Coralville Lake.
(10)
Identification of catch. No person shall transport or possess on any waters of
the state any fish unless (a) the species of any such fish can be readily
identified and a portion of the skin (at least 1 square inch) including scales
is left on all fish or fillets and (b) the length of fish can be determined
when length limits apply. "On any waters of the state" includes from the bank
or shoreline in addition to wading and by boat.
(11) Method of take. Artificial light may be
used in the taking of any fish. The following species of fish may be taken by
snagging, spearing, and bow and arrow: common carp, bighead carp, grass carp,
silver carp, black carp, bigmouth buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, black buffalo,
quillback carpsucker, highfin carpsucker, river carpsucker, spotted sucker,
white sucker, shorthead redhorse, golden redhorse, silver redhorse, sheepshead,
shortnose gar, longnose gar, dogfish, gizzard shad, and goldfish. All other
species of fish not hooked in the mouth, except paddlefish legally taken by
snagging, must be returned to the water immediately with as little injury as
possible. A fish is foul hooked when caught by a hook in an area other than in
the fish's mouth. Snagging is defined as the practice of jerking any type of
hook or lure, baited or unbaited, through the water with the intention of foul
hooking fish. No hook larger than a 5/0 treble hook or measuring more than 1 %
inches in length when two of the hook points are placed on a ruler are
permitted when snagging. Exceptions to snagging as a method of take are as
follows:
a. No snagging is permitted in the
following areas:
(1) Des Moines River from
directly below Saylorville Dam to the Southeast 14th Street bridge in Des
Moines.
(2) Cedar River in Cedar
Rapids from directly below the 5 in 1 Dam under Interstate 380 to the 1st
Avenue bridge.
(3) Cedar River in
Cedar Rapids from directly below the "C" Street Roller Dam to 300 yards
downstream.
(4) Iowa River from
directly below the Coralville Dam to 300 yards downstream.
(5) Chariton River from directly below Lake
Rathbun Dam to 300 yards downstream.
(6) Spillway area from directly below the
Spirit Lake outlet to the confluence at East Okoboji Lake.
(7) Northeast bank of the Des Moines River
from directly below the Ottumwa Dam, including the catwalk, to the Jefferson
Street Bridge. Snagging from the South Market Street Bridge is also
prohibited.
(8) Missouri River, any
Missouri River tributary beginning at its confluence and extending below its
Interstate 29 bridge and the Big Sioux River from the Interstate 29 bridge to
the confluence with the Missouri River, with the exception of snagging
paddlefish or any of the species listed in subrule 81.2(11) during the
paddlefish open season.
(9) Des
Moines River from directly below the Hydroelectric Dam (Big Dam) to the Hawkeye
Avenue Bridge in Fort Dodge.
(10)
Des Moines River from directly below the Little Dam to the Union Pacific
Railroad Bridge in Fort Dodge.
(11)
Skunk River from directly below Oakland Mills Dam to the downstream end of the
253rd Street boat ramp.
b. No snagging, bow and arrow fishing, or
spearing offish is permitted in the following areas:
(1) Clear Lake and Ventura Marsh from the
Ventura Grade, Jetties and Bridge.
(2) Lost Island Lake Inlet within 300 feet of
the concrete culvert and metal fish barrier.
(3) Lost Island Lake Outlet within 300 feet
of the outlet structure and metal fish barrier.
(4) Barringer Slough Outlet within 300 feet
of the outlet and metal fish barrier.
(5) The outlet area of Lower Gar Lake
beginning at 230th Avenue and extending downstream to the signed Iowa Great
Lakes Sanitary District property line.
(12) Panfish. The daily bag limit for crappie
and bluegill applies only to public waters of the state. In all waters of the
Mississippi River, the daily bag and possession limit applied individually to
crappie, yellow perch and rock bass shall be 25 and 50, respectively. In all
waters of the Mississippi River, the daily bag and possession limit applied in
the aggregate for bluegill and pumpkinseed and for white bass and yellow bass
shall be 25 and 50, respectively.
(13) Culling. It is prohibited to sort, cull,
high-grade, or replace any fish already in possession. Participants in
permitted black bass fishing tournaments are exempted, as are participants in
catch and release catfish fishing tournaments if the participants are fishing
from a boat with a functioning aerated or water-circulated live well. 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 the daily bag limit
of a particular species is reached, fishing for that species is permitted as
long as all fish of that species caught are immediately released.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.