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Pool 13, Mississippi River

General Information

County: Clinton
Location: Between Bellevue and Clinton, Iowa. Pool 13 Starts at River Mile 556.7
Acres: 28117.00
Maximum Depth:
Motoring Restrictions:

Nearby Parks

Amenities

Amenities at Pool 13, Mississippi River include:
  • Boat Access
  • Fishing Jetty
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp
  • Carry Down Boat Launch
  • Accessible Shoreline

The River is slowly waking up and fish like northern pike, yellow perch and walleyes are soon to spawn. Get your River fishing done now as the Mississippi is expected to rise significantly in the next month. These cold days is probably delaying the inevitable rise. If you have angling questions, please call Bellevue Fisheries Management at 563-880-8781.
Bluegill - No Report: In general, we received many good reports on bluegills this ice fishing season but many small fish were reported.
The water level at Lock and Dam 12 is rising at Bellevue and is presently at 8.9 feet. Water clarity is good, and the water temperature is around 44 degrees. The City of Bellevue Boat ramp and Iowa DNR ramp are presently open for business. At the DNR ramp, water may get up on the parking lot later this week making it difficult to launch.
Rainbow Trout - Excellent: The Bellevue kid's trout pond is open and relatively vegetation free. It is a nice safe place to fish with kids on warmer days. If you plan on keeping fish, please only keep two trout per child. This pond will be covered in vegetation in a month or so, so the time to fish it is now. Please fish here!
Sauger - Good: Conditions have been good this spring. Most are using jigs and minnow rigs or three ways weights with a crankbait. Fishing has been temperamental the past few weeks as some poor days were sprinkled in with good catches. Seems to be a nice upcoming year class of walleye and Sauger in the 10 to 13 inch range.
Walleye - Good: Small walleye and an occasional keeper are being reported. Better fish seem to be taken on a a three-way crankbait rig. Walleye will spawn over the next coming weeks.
Paddlefish - Good: Please understand the rules for paddlefish snagging as they are somewhat complex. You need to study them before you go out snagging or call a DNR office. The season will be open until April 15.
Yellow Perch - Good: Smaller yellow perch seem to be in the system and that bodes well for yellow perch fishing this upcoming year.

Lake Maps

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  • 05/01/2018 - 150,000 Walleye (Fry)
  • 04/09/2015 - 150,000 Northern Pike (Fry)
  • 04/09/2015 - 250,000 Northern Pike (Fry)

  • Bighead Carp
  • Brittle Naiad
  • Eurasian Watermilfoil
  • Flowering Rush
  • Largemouth Bass Virus
  • Silver Carp
  • Zebra Mussel

The Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.

  • Black Crappie
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur
  • Bluegill
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined bluegill and pumpkinseed, 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur
  • Channel Catfish
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Flathead Catfish
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Freshwater Drum
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: none
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: May be taken by hand fishing, by snagging, by spear or by bow and arrow, day or night.
  • Largemouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 10 fish
    • Length Limit: 14-inch minimum
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur
  • Northern Pike
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Sauger
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 6 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 12 fish
    • Length Limit: 15-inch minimum length limit; all walleye from 20 to 27-inches must be immediately released alive
    • Other: No more than one walleye longer than 27 inches may be taken per day on these pools
  • Smallmouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 10 fish
    • Length Limit: 14-inch minimum
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of border rivers are included where intermittent or constant flow occur
  • Walleye
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 6 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 12 fish
    • Length Limit: 15-inch minimum length limit; all walleye from 20 to 27-inches must be immediately released alive
    • Other: No more than one walleye longer than 27 inches may be taken per day on these pools
  • White Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined yellow and white bass, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined yellow and white bass, 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: Associated chutes and backwaters of the Mississippi River are included where intermittent or constant flow occur. In these areas, the daily bag and possession limit for the Mississippi River apply.

Excellent Fishery! Good populations of Black Crappie were reported this fall, surveys indicated an excellent reproduction of yellow perch, and walleye. In fact walleye spawn may be the largest we have ever recorded. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass fisheries are going well and often the target of major fishing tournaments circuits. Channel catfish and freshwater drum also provide a strong viable fishery. (2016)

Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.

Contacts

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.