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Fishing Regulations

Read our entire 2025 fishing regulations


Fishing Licenses and Fees, Seasons and Limits, Threatened and Endangered Species, Aquatic Invasive Species, Fisheries Offices Contact Information, Fishing Consumption and Advisories, Fishing Ethics, etc.

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Catch Request

Conservation officers can request to look at your catch at any time to check for compliance to regulations.

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Selling Game

Except as otherwise permitted, you cannot buy or sell, dead or alive, a bird, fish, or animal, or any part of which is protected.

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Littering Public Waters

You cannot throw or deposit cans, bottles, garbage, rubbish, or other debris onto or in any of the waters, ice, or land of the state.

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Promiscuous Fishing

The Natural Resources Commission can order the taking of fish from any area when there is imminent danger of fish loss through natural causes, and by such means they deem advisable to salvage such fish.

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Stocking Public & Private Waters

You cannot stock or introduce into the waters of the state any live fish, except for hooked bait, without the permission of the director of the Iowa DNR. You can stock privately owned ponds and lakes.

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Site-specific & Species-specific Regulations

Find information regarding specific water body and species regulations on the individual water bodies and fish species sections.

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Catching a Tagged Fish

image of a fish that has a small gray tag that has been placed into a fin, much like a paperclip

What should you do if you catch a fish with a tag on it? Record the following information about the fish and send to or call the nearest fisheries station:

  1. species
  2. total length
  3. weight
  4. tag color and number
  5. date and location of catch
  6. if the fish was released or kept
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Additional Regulations

Additional rules and regulations are listed below to help you fish safely, and legally, in Iowa. This is not a complete set of fishing regulations. For more fishing related regulations, check out the information found at Fishing Licenses & Laws.

Fishing

Get Your Fishing License Online

Ready to go fishing?  It’s easy to buy your fishing license online, plus, 100 percent of your license fees are invested back into local conservation, ensuring healthy fish and wildlife populations!

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