Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar River Access Area La Porte City | Access / boat ramp | 42.32579, -92.14564 | County access at the McFarlane Park cluster; first mapped access on this reach. |
| 2 | Mt. Auburn Boat Launch Mt. Auburn | Access / boat ramp | 42.29557, -92.05925 | Concrete ramp. |
| 3 | Milroy Access Area Benton County | Access / boat ramp | 42.18368, -92.00722 | Bank access above Vinton. |
| 4 | Hoefle Dulin Access Benton County | Access / boat ramp | 42.16418, -91.97853 | Ramp at Hoefle-Dulin Recreation Area. |
| 5 | Wildcat Bluff Access Benton County | Access / boat ramp | 42.19022, -91.88277 | Ramp below Wildcat Bluff. |
| 6 | Ellis Harbor Cedar Rapids | Access / boat ramp | 42.00366, -91.69315 | Boat harbour and ramp at Ellis Park. |
| 7 | McFarlane County Park Campground La Porte City | Campsite | 42.32184, -92.14841 | Benton County campground at the access. |
| 8 | Palisades-Kepler State Park Campground Mount Vernon | Campsite | 41.90797, -91.50973 | State park campground above the dam. |
| 9 | Five-in-One Dam Cedar Rapids | Point of interest | 41.97873, -91.67261 | Low-head dam through downtown; portage. |
| 10 | Cedar Rapids Milldam Cedar Rapids | Point of interest | 41.94433, -91.63022 | Weir below the city. |
| 11 | Palisades-Kepler Dam Palisades-Kepler State Park | Point of interest | 41.90131, -91.50704 | Weir at the state park. |
| 12 | Cedar Island Wildlife Management Area Iowa DNR | Park / conservation area | 42.30272, -92.12656 | Public bottomland on river left. |
| 13 | Spring Creek Flats Iowa DNR | Park / conservation area | 42.31596, -92.11174 | Wildlife area on the east bank. |
| 14 | Winegar Lake - Tobin Area Iowa DNR | Park / conservation area | 42.29207, -92.04621 | Oxbow and wildlife area. |
| 15 | Cedar Bend Park Vinton | Park / conservation area | 42.17415, -92.01634 | Riverside city park at Vinton. |
| 16 | Cumberland's Recreation Area Benton County | Park / conservation area | 42.18174, -92.01862 | County conservation area. |
| 17 | County Care Facility Wildlife Area Benton County | Park / conservation area | 42.15752, -91.99142 | County wildlife area. |
| 18 | Butterfield Island Wildlife Area Benton County | Park / conservation area | 42.16778, -91.97613 | Island wildlife area. |
| 19 | Benton City Fry Recreation Area Benton County | Park / conservation area | 42.16167, -91.91840 | County recreation area. |
| 20 | North Cedar Natural Area Linn County | Park / conservation area | 42.16016, -91.80098 | County natural area. |
| 21 | Goose Pond Natural Area Linn County | Park / conservation area | 42.14560, -91.80221 | Backwater natural area. |
| 22 | Wickiup Hill Natural Area Linn County | Park / conservation area | 42.09424, -91.76691 | Learning centre and natural area. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Chain Lakes Natural Area Linn County | Park / conservation area | 42.04947, -91.77460 | Chain Lakes backwaters. |
| 24 | Rock Island Botanical Preserve Linn County | Park / conservation area | 42.03077, -91.73817 | Sand prairie preserve. |
| 25 | Seminole Valley Park Cedar Rapids | Park / conservation area | 42.00534, -91.73013 | Large riverside park. |
| 26 | Riverfront Park Cedar Rapids | Park / conservation area | 41.97763, -91.67195 | Downtown riverfront, river right. |
| 27 | Prairie Park Cedar Rapids | Park / conservation area | 41.95292, -91.63078 | Prairie Park Fishery. |
| 28 | Winnebago Park Cedar Rapids | Park / conservation area | 41.94430, -91.62096 | Riverside natural area. |
| 29 | Palisades-Kepler State Park Mount Vernon | Park / conservation area | 41.90969, -91.50500 | Limestone bluffs; the marquee stop on this reach. |
| 30 | Palisades-Dows Preserve Linn County | Park / conservation area | 41.90226, -91.51667 | Preserve below the state park. |
| 31 | Cedar Valley Nature Trail bridge La Porte City | Bridge crossing | 42.31555, -92.13391 | Rail-trail crossing. |
| 32 | 22nd Avenue bridge Mt. Auburn | Bridge crossing | 42.29352, -92.05930 | |
| 33 | 24th Avenue Drive bridge Vinton | Bridge crossing | 42.17091, -92.02372 | |
| 34 | 32nd Avenue bridge Benton County | Bridge crossing | 42.18677, -91.87235 | |
| 35 | Blairs Ferry Road bridge Palo | Bridge crossing | 42.06922, -91.78497 | |
| 36 | Chain Lakes Bridge Linn County | Bridge crossing | 42.05022, -91.77554 | Footbridge at the natural area. |
| 37 | IA 100 bridge Cedar Rapids | Bridge crossing | 42.02789, -91.74092 | |
| 38 | Edgewood Road bridge Cedar Rapids | Bridge crossing | 42.01145, -91.70511 | |
| 39 | 1st Avenue Bridge Cedar Rapids | Bridge crossing | 41.97725, -91.67155 | Downtown; above the Five-in-One dam. |
| 40 | 3rd Avenue Bridge Cedar Rapids | Bridge crossing | 41.97582, -91.66914 | |
| 41 | 8th Avenue bridge Cedar Rapids | Bridge crossing | 41.97167, -91.66486 | |
| 42 | 16th Avenue bridge Cedar Rapids | Bridge crossing | 41.96649, -91.65944 | |
| 43 | Lincoln Freeway bridge Linn County | Bridge crossing | 41.92615, -91.55057 | |
| 44 | USGS 05464500 Cedar River at Cedar Rapids USGS streamgauge | USGS gauge | 41.97190, -91.66710 | Live stage and discharge. |
Gauge: USGS 05464500 — Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, IA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye
Regulations: www.iowadnr.gov/things-do/fishing/regulations-laws
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Cedar Rapids - city park and boat ramp access near the gauge, serving the lower river through and below town.
Waterloo and Cedar Falls - multiple ramps and park accesses, and the closest good smallmouth water to the metro area.
Waverly - the usual put-in for the upper float segments where the rock structure is best.
Vinton and Palo county conservation areas break the middle river into manageable single-day floats.
The Cedar Valley Nature Trail parallels much of the river between Waterloo and Evansdale and gives long stretches of bank access.
Low-head dams remain in several towns and are genuinely dangerous - portage well upstream and do not attempt to run them.
Farmland dominates the banks b
Spring: high and stained from snowmelt into May, with the walleye run below the dams the main event once the river drops.
Summer: prime smallmouth season. Low clear water over the rock reaches, good topwater fishing, and comfortable float conditions.
Fall: cooling water brings the biggest smallmouth and walleye of the year, and September and October are the best float months on the river.
Winter: