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Fishing in Garden City, IA

Iowa, United States

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Want trophy-size catches? These Garden City spots deliver

Top fish species in Garden City

Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Bluegill
Bluegill
Channel catfish
Channel catfish
Green sunfish
Green sunfish

Latest Garden City fishing reports

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Hybrid striped bass

Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake

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Hybrid striped bass

Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake

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Green sunfish

McFarland Lake

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Smallmouth bass

Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake

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Largemouth bass

Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake

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Walleye

Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake

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Largemouth bass

Sand Lake

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Largemouth bass

Sand Lake

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Yellow bass

Sand Lake

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Largemouth bass

Johnson Pond

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About Garden City fishing

Check out the best fishing spots in and around Garden City, Iowa. Anglers using Fishbrain have logged: 2,268 catches for Largemouth bass, 387 catches for Smallmouth bass, and 238 catches for Bluegill.

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Fishing regulations in Garden City

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in Iowa can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Largemouth bass as of April 18th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Largemouth bass

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

3

Min size

12"

Measurement

Total Length

Special gear

Aggregate

3

Statewide regulations: No closed season.

Daily bag limit = 3 bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, combined).

Daily possession limit = 6 bass (combined)

EXCEPTIONS:

All black bass caught from the following stream segments and lakes must be released alive immediately: 

  1. Brown Lake (Jackson)
  2. Cedar River (Mitchell) extending downstream from the bridge on county road A19 east of Otranto as posted to the bridge on county road T26 south of St. Ansgar 
  3. Maquoketa River (Delaware) extending downstream from below Lake Delhi Dam as posted to the first county gravel road bridge 
  4. Middle Raccoon River (Guthrie) extending downstream from below Lake Panorama Dam as posted to the dam at Redfield 
  5. Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek) extending downstream from the Fifth Street bridge in Decorah as posted to the upper dam 
  6. Wapello Lake (Davis).

Inland Waters:

  • Minimum size = 15-inches in all public lakes, including Coralville, Rathbun, Saylorville, and Red Rock reservoirs except as otherwise posted, including: 
  1. Ada Hayden (Story): 18-inch minimum
  2. Ahquabi, Hooper (Warren): 18-inch minimum
  3. Big Creek: 18-inch minimum
  4. Casey (Tama): 18-inch minimum
  5. Cold Springs (Cass): 18-inch minimum
  6. Green Valley (Union): 18-inch minimum
  7. Hawthorn (Mahaska): all 12 to 16-inch fish must be immediately released!
  8. Hendricks (Howard): 18-inch minimum
  9. Krumm (Jasper): 18-inch minimum
  10. Little Wall (Hamilton): 18-inch minimum
  11. Lost Grove (Scott): 18-inch minimum
  12. Mill Creek (O'Brien): 18-inch minimum
  13. Pleasant Creek (Linn): 18-inch minimum
  14. Smith (Kossuth): 18-inch minimum
  15. South Prairie (Black Hawk): 18-inch minimum 
  16. Sugema (Van Buren): all 12 to 18-inch fish must be immediately released! 
  17. Swan Lake (Carroll): 16-inch minimum
  18. Thomas Mitchell: 18-inch minimum
  19. Yellow Banks (Polk): 18-inch minimum

Interior Streams & River Impoundments 

  • Minimum size limit = 12-inch minimum except

Boundary Rivers (including associated chutes and backwaters where intermittent or constant flow occur)

  • Daily Bag Limit = 5 bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, combined).
  • Possession Limit = 10 bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, combined).
  • Mississippi River: Minimum size = 14-inches total length.
  • Missouri River: Minimum size = 12-inches total length.

Micropterus nigricans

Regulations for

42°14′43.8″N 93°23′43.4″W
Regulations in the map
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FAQ about Garden City fishing

Most commonly caught species around Garden City, IA:
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