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 | Monticello City Park Monticello | Park / conservation area | 42.24213, -91.18507 | City park on the river at Monticello. |
| 2 | State Highway 38 IA 38, Monticello | Bridge crossing | 42.26007, -91.19265 | Highway crossing above the Mon-Maq Dam. |
| 3 | North Main Street US 151 Business, Monticello | Bridge crossing | 42.24386, -91.17972 | Town crossing at Monticello. |
| 4 | Mon-Maq Dam Monticello | Point of interest | 42.24474, -91.17208 | Dam at Monticello; the walk-in canoe landing is immediately below it. |
| 5 | Mon-Maq Dam Walk-in Canoe Landing Monticello | Access / boat ramp | 42.24589, -91.17057 | Walk-in canoe landing at the Mon-Maq Dam. |
| 6 | US 151 US 151, below Monticello | Bridge crossing | 42.24585, -91.16460 | Highway crossing below the dam. |
| 7 | Pictured Rocks Boat Landing Jones County | Access / boat ramp | 42.20638, -91.10289 | Boat landing at Pictured Rocks, the limestone bluff reach below Monticello. |
| 8 | Indian Bluffs Wildlife Management Area Iowa DNR | Park / conservation area | 42.21183, -91.07789 | DNR wildlife area on the bluffs above the river. |
| 9 | Eby's Mill Wildlife Area Iowa DNR | Park / conservation area | 42.20303, -91.03922 | Wildlife area at the old Eby's Mill site. |
| 10 | Eby's Mill Road Eby's Mill | Bridge crossing | 42.19822, -91.05740 | County crossing at Eby's Mill. |
| 11 | State Highway 136 IA 136 | Bridge crossing | 42.20332, -91.00488 | Highway crossing on the middle river. |
| 12 | Temple Hill Road Temple Hill | Bridge crossing | 42.18567, -90.97728 | County crossing in the long reach above Canton. |
| 13 | Canton Canoe Access Canton | Access / boat ramp | 42.16256, -90.89357 | County canoe access at Canton. |
| 14 | Buzzard Ridge Wildlife Area Jackson County Conservation | Park / conservation area | 42.15226, -90.87714 | County wildlife area on the river near Baldwin. |
| 15 | Buzzard Ridge Campground Jackson County Conservation | Campsite | 42.14697, -90.87838 | Riverside campground inside the Buzzard Ridge area. |
| 16 | Millertown Canoe Access Millertown | Access / boat ramp | 42.12443, -90.85844 | Canoe access at the Millertown crossing. |
| 17 | Pine Valley Nature Area Jackson County Conservation | Park / conservation area | 42.13330, -90.84968 | County nature area on the slope above the river. |
| 18 | Royertown Canoe Access Jackson County Conservation | Access / boat ramp | 42.12041, -90.82977 | County canoe access at Royertown. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Chenelworth Canoe Access Jackson County Conservation | Access / boat ramp | 42.10961, -90.79702 | County canoe access at Chenelworth. |
| 20 | Frazier Wildlife Area Jackson County Conservation | Park / conservation area | 42.10854, -90.79262 | County wildlife area beside the Chenelworth access. |
| 21 | Morehead Canoe Access Jackson County | Access / boat ramp | 42.09037, -90.79657 | Canoe access at the 74th Street crossing. |
| 22 | Joinerville Park Jackson County Conservation | Campsite | 42.08117, -90.75194 | County park with river frontage and camping by permit. |
| 23 | Lakehurst Dam North American Hydro | Point of interest | 42.07011, -90.69788 | Hydro dam on the river above Maquoketa. |
| 24 | US 61 US 61, Maquoketa | Bridge crossing | 42.07560, -90.68244 | Highway crossing at Maquoketa. |
| 25 | Hurstville Marsh Observation Deck Hurstville | Point of interest | 42.09022, -90.67882 | Boardwalk and observation deck over the Hurstville marsh beside the river. |
| 26 | Hurstville Lime Kilns Jackson County Conservation | Park / conservation area | 42.09655, -90.68304 | County historic site at the restored lime kilns on the Hurstville reach. |
| 27 | Hurstville Road Hurstville Road, Maquoketa | Bridge crossing | 42.07748, -90.66652 | Town crossing below the US 61 bridge. |
| 28 | Bridgeport Canoe Access Bridgeport | Access / boat ramp | 42.08504, -90.63138 | Canoe access at Bridgeport, below Maquoketa. |
| 29 | Ansel Briggs Highway Bridgeport | Bridge crossing | 42.08378, -90.63258 | Highway crossing at the Bridgeport access. |
| 30 | Richardson Timber Preserve Jackson County Conservation | Park / conservation area | 42.09230, -90.53084 | County timber preserve on the lower river. |
| 31 | Iron Bridge Canoe Access Jackson County Conservation | Access / boat ramp | 42.10141, -90.51871 | County canoe access at the Iron Bridge crossing. |
| 32 | Spragueville Access Spragueville | Access / boat ramp | 42.08055, -90.43581 | County access at the 387th Avenue crossing. |
| 33 | Damon Canoe Access Damon | Access / boat ramp | 42.11829, -90.39454 | Canoe access at the 435th Avenue crossing on the lower river. |
| 34 | Maquoketa River Hwy 52 Access Jackson County Conservation | Access / boat ramp | 42.15990, -90.33819 | The last access on the river, at the Great River Road crossing above the Mississippi. |
| 35 | USGS 05418500 Maquoketa River near Maquoketa Primary flow reference | USGS gauge | 42.08335, -90.63292 | |
| 36 | Maquoketa River (below Monticello) Below Monticello down to the Mississippi | Regulation section limit | 42.24368, -91.17324 | Iowa DNR manages the river below Monticello as a single section of about eighty miles, running down to the Mississippi. |
Gauge: USGS 05418500 — Maquoketa River near Maquoketa, IA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, 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.
Maquoketa city river access — the main put-in near the USGS gauge.
Monticello area accesses — upper-river paddle put-ins on the main stem.
Joinerville and Canton bridge crossings — mid-river wade and float access.
Backbone State Park — upper river access with trout-stocked reaches nearby.
Hurstville area county access — north-side access above the town of Maquoketa.
Green Island Wildlife Area — lower river and Mississippi bottoms access.
Bellevue area Mississippi landings — take-out for full lower-river floats.
Spring: high water early, then strong walleye and pre-spawn smallmouth fishing as flows drop in May.
Summer: low clear water, wade-and-float smallmouth fishing, topwater at dawn and dusk.
Fall: the best smallmouth fishing of the year as fish feed heavily ahead of winter.
Winter: limited float activity; walleye and catfish in the deep holes for the few who go.