Longnose dace

Characteristics

olive-green to brown on back and upper sides shading to white on the belly, mottled appearance due to presence of darkened scale pockets

Distribution

confined to the extreme northeast corner of the state

Foods

insect larvae

State Record

4 - 5 inches

Expert Tip

Details

The Iowa distribution of the longnose dace is confined to the extreme northeast corner of the state. Collections have been recorded in the Upper Iowa, Yellow, Turkey, Volga, and the upper reaches of the Maquoketa rivers, where they are common in nearly all samples.

The color of the longnose dace is olive-green to brown on the back and upper sides shading to white on the belly. A mottled appearance is given to the sides by the presence of darkened scale pockets, and the lateral band is indistinct in adults. Breeding males are washed with pink on the lower portions of the body. There are 61 to 73 scales in the complete lateral line. Hooked pharyngeal teeth are arranged in a 2, 4-4, 2 pattern, but this formula may vary. The upper jaw and snout greatly overhangs the lower jaw, and a barbel is present at the tip of the maxillary. A silver peritoneum speckled with brown covers the gut cavity, and the air bladder is rudimentary. Dorsal and pelvic fins contain 8 rays, while the anal fin has 7 rays, and the pectoral fins have from 13 to 15 rays.

The longnose dace spawns over clean sand or gravel in swift current during April and May. Adults are 4 to 5 inches in length at maturity and reside in riffles of gravel and boulder where they feed on insect larvae.

Return

Present in these Iowa water bodies:

Lake/Stream	County	Location	Acres/Length
Yellow River	Allamakee	T96N, R6W, S3 to T96N, R4W, S24	25.00
Paint Creek	Allamakee	Located in Yellow River State Forest, 3 miles west of Harpers Ferry off of State Forest Road or CR B25.	11.00
Maquoketa River (trout portion)	Clayton	The Upper Maquoketa River from Joy Springs downstream to Backbone Lake contains trout year-round. The area 3 miles southwest of Strawberry Point off 400th is stocked with catchable fish.	8.00
Bloody Run Creek	Clayton	Located 2 miles west of Marquette off of Highway 18.	6.50
Sny Magill Creek	Clayton	Located in the Sny Magill Wildlife Management Area, 3 miles southwest of McGregor along Keystone Road.	5.00
Coldwater Creek	Winneshiek	Located 3 miles northwest of Bluffton off of Coldwater Creek Road.	4.00
Coon Creek	Winneshiek	Located in Coon Creek Wildlife Management Area, 7 miles northwest of Decorah.	2.60
Otter Creek	Fayette	Located 3 miles southeast of West Union.	2.50
Pine Creek	Allamakee	Located on Pine Creek Wildlife Management Area, 2 miles northeast of Sattre on Balsam Road or CR W60.	2.50
Fountain Springs	Delaware	2.5 miles northeast of Greeley along Oak Road. Most of the fishery lies within Fountain Springs County Park	2.30
Trout Run	Winneshiek	Located on the south side of Decorah off Trout Run Road.	2.20
Upper Swiss Valley Creek	Dubuque	Located 3 miles south of Dubuque near Swiss Valley Nature Center, just off Swiss Valley Road	2.10
North Cedar Creek	Clayton	Located 3 miles west of McGregor off of CR B60 or Ivory Road.	2.00
Clear Creek	Allamakee	Stream runs along Highway 9 through Lansing. Public angling access is at the County Park located off South Road Drive.	2.00
Buck Creek	Clayton	Located 3 miles northeast of Garnavillo.	1.70
Patterson Creek	Allamakee	Stream located 4 miles northwest of Waukon.	1.40
Hewett and Ensign Creeks (Ensign Hollow)	Clayton	Located on Ensign Hollow Wildlife Management Area about 5 miles north of Strawberry Point. Access is provided on the north side of 322nd street.	1.30
Little Turkey River	Delaware	3 miles east of Colesburg in Hoffman Wildlife Managment Area off Hubbard Road	1.20
Spring Falls	Delaware	T90N - R4W; sections 1, 2, 12	0.80
Lower Swiss Valley Creek	Dubuque	Located 3 miles south of Dubuque in Swiss Valley Park just off Swiss Valley Road	0.80
Joy Springs	Clayton	South on Alpha Ave, off Highway 3 about 3 miles west of Strawberry Point in Joy Springs County Park.	0.80
Bankston Creek	Dubuque	Just south of Park Hollow Road, 3 miles north of Bankston in Bankston County Park	0.60
Bigalk Creek	Howard	Located 7 miles northeast of Cresco.	0.60
Mossy Glen	Clayton	5 miles northwest of Edgewood at the termination of the Level B portion of Eagle Ave. Road damage from weather has made access to this site difficult for all vehicles. Not recommended for low-clearance or 2-wheel drives.	0.50
Bohemian Creek	Winneshiek	Located about 1.5 miles east of Protivin.	0.30