Fisheries investigations provide a vast amount of knowledge that fishery management teams can use to improve the quality of Iowa's fishing resources. There are seven fisheries research stations in Iowa. Each has a particular field of investigation. Therefore a number of fisheries research topics may be addressed by multiple research teams within the boundaries of any given management district. The overlap of these topics of research exemplifies the diversity of Iowa's fishery resources.  Research is made possible through funding by the Sportfish Restoration Program.
    
 
Iowa Fisheries Research Stations:
Small Lakes
Natural Lakes
Large Reservoirs
Interior Rivers and Streams
Mississippi River
Fish Culture
Technology and Data Management

Small Lakes Investigations Cold Springs Fish Research Station 57744 Lewis Road Lewis, IA 51544-5103 Office: 712-769-2587 Fisheries Biologist - Darcy Cashatt Fisheries Technician - Lewis Bruce	Current Projects: Aquatic Plants - Monitoring, Control, and Enhancement Catfish in Iowa Lakes Coop Projects: Best Managment Practices (BMPs) for Aquatic Vegetation Management in Iowa Lakes

Natural Lakes Investigations Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery Research Station 122 252nd Ave Spirit Lake, IA  51360 Office: 712-336-1840 Fisheries Biologist - Jonathan Meerbeek Fisheries Technician - Jon Christensen Fisheries Technician - Kim Hawkins		Current Projects: Contribution, and Survival of Stocked Muskellunge, and Population Dynamics of Adult Muskellunge in Spirit, East Okoboji, West Okoboji, and Clear Lake Population Dynamics of Adult Walleyes in Iowa's Natural Lakes Shallow Lake Renovation Based on Alternative Stable Trophic States Population Dynamics of Common Carp in Lost Island Lake Common Carp and Black Bullhead Populations in Clear Lake Coop Projects: Effects of Introduced Common Carp and Invading Zebra Mussels in Clear Lake

Large Reservoir Investigations Chariton Fish Research Station 24570 US Hwy 34 Chariton, IA 50049 Office: 641-774-2958 Fisheries Biologist - Randy Schultz Fisheries Technician - Mark Richardson Fisheries Technician - Andy Fowler Secretary - Carol Dixson		Current Projects: Management of Sport Fisheries in Urban Lakes Management of Hybrid Striped Bass in Iowa Rathbun Lake Zebra Mussel Assessment

Interior Rivers and Streams Investigations Manchester Fish Hatchery 22693 205th Ave Manchester, IA 52057 Office: 563-927-3276 Fisheries Biologist - Greg Gelwicks Fisheries Technician - Greg Simmons		Current Projects: Understanding Watershed/Habitat Relationships: The Key to Lasting Improvements in River Fisheries Response of Fish and Habitat to Stream Rehabilitation Practices in Iowa Flathead Catfish Population Assessment in Iowa's Rivers Evaluation of Distribution and Seasonal Movements of Flathead Catfish in Iowa's Rivers Coop Projects: Distribution and Abundance of Topeka Shiners in West-Central Iowa Iowa Stream Fish Species of Greatest Conservation Need: Using IAGAP and REMAP Products to Refine Prioritization and Guide Fish Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Iowa's Non-Wadeable Rivers: Distribution, Relative Abundance, and Relations with Instream Habitat and Potential Movement Barriers

Mississippi River Investigations Bellevue Fish Research Station 24143 Hwy 52 Bellevue, IA 52031 Office: 563-872-4976 Fisheries Biologist - Mike Steuck Fisheries Technician - Denny Weiss Fisheries Technician - Royce Bowman		Current Projects: Winter Habitat of Bluegill, Black and White Crappie Walleye and Sauger on the Upper Mississippi River Walleye Telemetry on the Upper Mississippi River

Long Term Resource Monitoring Investigations 206 Rose Street Bellevue, IA  52031 Office: 563-872-5495 Fisheries Biologist - Dave Bierman FisheriesTechnician - Mel Bowler Fisheries Technician - Josh Petersen Fisheries Technician - Travis Kueter		Current Projects: Bellevue Field Station staff conduct monitoring of water quality, sediment, aquatic and floodplain forest vegetation, land cover and land use, macroinvertebrates and fish communities along a 122-mile reach of the Mississippi River with Pool 13 at Bellevue, Iowa as the main focus in the middle. Long Term Resource Monitoring Program

Fish Culture Investigations Rathbun Fish Culture Research Facility 15053 Hatchery Place Moravia, IA  52571 Phone: 641-647-2406 Fisheries Biologist - Alan Johnson Fisheries Technician - Randy Esser		Current Projects: Walleye Culture Research, Making a Great Product Better! The Production of Walleye in Plastic-Lined Ponds Best Management Practices for Channel Catfish Culture Better Disease Management in Fish Production

Technology and Data Management Boone Wildlife Research Station 14360 255th St Boone, IA  50036 Phone: 515-432-2823 Fisheries Biologist - Jeff Kopaska		Current Projects: New Technology Helps in Many Ways