Turkey River Fishing Guides and Conditions, Iowa

About the Turkey River

The Turkey drains a big piece of northeast Iowa, running from near Cresco down through Elkader, Elkport and Garber to the Mississippi below Guttenberg. Like the Upper Iowa it is Driftless water, cutting limestone bluffs and running over gravel and rock, but it carries more volume and its lower reaches are big enough to fish from a motorboat. The tributaries that feed it, Bloody Run, the Volga and a dozen spring creeks, are among the best wild trout water in the state.

Smallmouth bass are the headline for float anglers, holding on the rock ledges and boulder seams from Elkader down. Below the old Elkport area the river deepens and walleye become a serious target, with flathead and channel catfish in the holes and northern pike along the slower banks. Rock bass are constant company. The combination is unusual for the Midwest: a river you can float for smallmouth in the morning and fish for wild brown trout in a spring creek two miles away in the afternoon.

The Garber gauge is on the lower river and it moves a long way with weather. Moderate readings mean clear water and defined riffles; heavy rain in the upper basin turns it brown and pushy for a day or two, which is a good streamer window as it drops but dangerous while it is peaking. The gauge also carries water temperature, which is worth watching in a hot Iowa August when the smallmouth get sluggish in the middle of the day.

Elkader is the base town, with access at the town dam and outfitters nearby. Motor Mill Historic Site, Big Spring and the Backbone State Park area are all within a short drive.

Access

Elkader: town access, the dam and the most-used launch on the river.
Motor Mill Historic Site: county access with camping and a long float below.
Osborne and Volga River State Recreation Area: tributary and upper basin access.
Elkport and Garber: lower river launches around the gauge.
Millville: the last access before the Mississippi backwaters.
Bloody Run Creek and the Volga River: nearby wild trout tributaries.
County bridges through Clayton and Fayette counties give wade access.

Seasons

April and May: high water, walleye in the lower river, cautious floating.
June: the best float month, smallmouth on top and comfortable flows.
July and August: low and clear, wade fishing, watch afternoon water temperatures.
September and October: big smallmouth and a second walleye push; the prettiest weeks.