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Stream Details

Turkey River

General Information

County: Clayton
Location: Located 6 miles northwest of Elkader at Big Spring Hatchery.
Stream Segment Length: 1.00

Amenities

Amenities at Turkey River include:
  • Picnic Area
  • Trails
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Carry Down Boat Launch
Trout continue to provide nice catches for anglers. Catchable Rainbow Trout stocking begins April 1. Plenty of brown and rainbow trout remain in streams to tease anglers. Stocking calendar is posted on our website.
Brook Trout - Fair: Midge and caddis fly hatches have been plentiful on warm sunny afternoons. Use care not to scare this skittish fish or it will slow your efforts.
Brown Trout - Good: With extreme clear water, try angling in the evening for a wily brownie. Another time to find brown trout is when the water clouds up after a rainfall event.
Rainbow Trout - Good: Many holdover rainbows remain in the stream. Anglers using a small chunk of worm under a bobber floated in deeper water should get a bite.

Turkey River is stocked April through October with catchable 10-12 inch Rainbow Trout. Improvements have been made to ensure easy access to the river. A small campground with non-electric sites is available close to the hatchery.(2022)

Download Printable Stream Map

Parking Access
Catchable Trout Waters
Fingerling Stocked or Natural Reproduction
Restrictive Regulation Stream

You can zoom the map in and out using the slider on the left hand side, and you can pan the map by clicking and dragging. Rollover features for more information. Click streams to go to their page.

    No known aquatic invasive species have been found
  • Annual 2022 - 7,772 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • Annual 2021 - 6,479 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • Annual 2020 - 5,729 Rainbow Trout (12)
  • annual 2019 - 2,262 Brook Trout (10.8)
  • annual 2019 - 4,287 Rainbow Trout (10.8)
  • annual 2018 - 2,305 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2018 - 2,670 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2017 - 890 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2017 - 5,080 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2016 - 785 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2016 - 7,665 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2015 - 1,657 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2015 - 8,714 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2014 - 1,555 Brook Trout (2-3/lb)
  • annual 2014 - 6,480 Rainbow Trout (2-3/lb)
The Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.

  • Brown Trout
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Anglers must have paid the Trout Fee to fish for or possess trout
  • Rainbow Trout
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined trout (brook, brown, and rainbow) - 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Anglers must have paid the Trout Fee to fish for or possess trout
  • Smallmouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
    • Length Limit: 12-inch minimum
    • Other:
  • Walleye
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed. Some limitations may apply for young children and pregnant women. Here’s a Fish Consumption Fact Sheet from the Iowa DNR and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health for more information. Here is a list of current fish consumption advisories for Iowa lakes and rivers.

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