Fishing near Council Bluffs, IA

Set in Pottawattamie County along the Missouri River corridor, Council Bluffs puts anglers within reach of big-river catfish and a productive oxbow lake. The Missouri River reach from town to the state line runs 61 miles and holds over 25 species, while Lake Manawa, a 772-acre oxbow formed by an 1881 flood, sits just southwest of downtown with ramps, a pier, and a fish-cleaning station.

Top waters to fish near Council Bluffs

Species & education

Learn what type of fish are in Council Bluffs, Iowa and what's needed to catch them.

Find which waters have the species you want to catch

Bigmouth Buffalo

Black Buffalo

Ictiobus niger

Black Bullhead

Ameiurus melas

Black Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

Bluegill Sunfish

Lepomis macrochirus

Channel Catfish

Common Carp

Flathead Catfish

Freshwater Drum

Aplodinotus grunniens

Green Sunfish

Lepomis cyanellus

Largemouth Bass

Orangespotted Sunfish

Lepomis humilis

Sauger

Sander canadensis

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Whether you're en route and conditions shift or you're looking for the best spot based on current flows, we enable you to make informed decisions on the fly.