Clear Creek

Type
Freestone river, Iowa (Midwest)
Designation
Wild Trout Water
USGS gauges
None listed
Guides
None listed
Shops
None listed

Today on the Clear Creek

No live reading for this water
Why there is no reading

Nothing live is published for this water, so there is no reading or verdict today. The readings section below says what we checked.

Regulations & access Guides & shops

Clear Creek is a freestone river in Iowa, listed as Wild Trout Water by Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

More about the Clear Creek

Iowa Department of Natural Resources lists 1 species.

Updated · Sources: Wild Trout Streams Open to Public Fishing, Wild Trout Streams Open to Public Fishing

Representative photograph of similar water; not a photograph of this place.
Representative photograph, not this water.
Where it is

Clear Creek is a freestone river in Iowa. The nearest destination hub is across the state line: The Driftless: Viroqua & Westby hub (Wisconsin) is 28 mi away in a straight line but 48 by road, much of it on back roads. Iowa has 9 waters named Clear Creek in the USGS Geographic Names Information System; this page is the stream whose mouth is in Allamakee County, the one the agency list names.

No real-time gauge

No real-time gauge on this water. We found no active USGS gauge on Clear Creek or on its stream system within about 25 miles, and no dam operator publishes data for it. A missing gauge says nothing about the water itself. Find the gauges nearest Clear Creek

About these readings

Nothing live is published for this water; the note below says what we checked.

Where to fish

About this

Start from the agency's public access map. Nothing on this page grants or implies access: check the agency map, posted signs and landowner permission before you fish.

Nothing on this page grants or implies access.

Restrooms near Clear Creek

Restrooms near Clear Creek

Restrooms within 2 miles of Clear Creek in a straight line, nearest first, with what anglers found when they went. The map says a restroom is there, not whether it is clean or open today.

No restroom mapped within 2 mi yet — add one you know.

Campgrounds, fishing access sites and boat ramps often have one that isn't on the map yet.

Restroom locations and map details: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License, read Oct 24, 2026. Ratings, answers and photos are members' own; who shared them is never shown, and every photo is reviewed before it appears. Visits older than 18 months no longer count. Distances are straight-line miles, not driving. Nothing here grants access to private land. Community guidelines.

More water near Clear Creek

  • Sepia-toned view of Timber Coulee Creek flowing past tall grass below an old wooden barnCatch and releaseRepresentative photo · not French Creek
    Photo credit

    Timber Coulee Creek in southwest Wisconsin (sepia-toned film photograph). Photo: Tom Hart, CC BY 2.0, cropped, via Flickr Not French Creek.

    French Creek

    Iowa · about 3 mi

    Brown & brook trout

  • Aerial view of the Kickapoo River curving past a grassy landing lined with canoes and kayaksWild Trout WaterRepresentative photo · not Arner Branch
    Photo credit

    The Kickapoo River in Wisconsin's Driftless Area, from the air. Photo: Wikideas1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Arner Branch.

    Arner Branch

    Iowa · about 4 mi

    Brown trout

  • The Whitewater River curving past a gravel bar and green summer growth in Whitewater State ParkCatch and releaseRepresentative photo · not Waterloo Creek
    Photo credit

    The Whitewater River in Whitewater State Park, Minnesota. Photo: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Waterloo Creek.

    Waterloo Creek

    Iowa · about 4 mi

    Brown trout

  • The Bois Brule River at Winneboujou in winter, dark water between snowy banks and evergreensCatch and releaseRepresentative photo · not West Branch French Creek
    Photo credit

    The Bois Brule River at the County Highway B landing (Winneboujou), Wisconsin. Photo: Kriz420 (Wikimedia Commons user), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Not West Branch French Creek.

    West Branch French Creek

    Iowa · about 5 mi

    Brown & brook trout

  • Canoeists on the Pere Marquette River in autumn, between colourful woodsWild Trout WaterRepresentative photo · not Bear Creek
    Photo credit

    The Pere Marquette River in autumn, Manistee National Forest. Photo: Yetiwriter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Bear Creek.

    Bear Creek

    Iowa · about 7 mi

    Brown trout

  • The broad Muskegon River near Newaygo between banks of red and orange autumn treesWild Trout WaterRepresentative photo · not Patterson Creek
    Photo credit

    The Muskegon River near Newaygo, Michigan. Photo: Marc Steensma, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Patterson Creek.

    Patterson Creek

    Iowa · about 10 mi

    Brown trout

Regulations

About this

Seasons, limits, special regulations and closures for each reach are on the agency pages below. Read them before you go.

Official designation: Wild Trout Water

Each comes from the agency's own published list; where the list names a reach it is quoted. A designation applies to the listed reach, not necessarily the whole water. Listed in the finder under trout.

The water on the map

About this

Measured from the NHDPlus High Resolution (flowlines and waterbodies) (U.S. Geological Survey, read 2026-11-04) for this water’s own mapped feature. Rounded figures; they describe the channel, not today’s conditions.

Whole Clear Creek, not only this reach.

Length
7 mi
Drains
15.2 sq mi
Drop
458 ft · 65.8 ft/mi
Flows into
Upper Iowa River
Watershed
Upper Iowa

Public land along it

About this

Areas the Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), public access (U.S. Geological Survey, Gap Analysis Project, read 2026-11-05) lists as owned or held in easement and open to the public, crossed by the mapped channel of the whole Clear Creek. Boundaries are mapped, not surveyed. Nothing on this page grants or implies access: check the agency map, posted signs and landowner permission before you fish.

3.1 of 6.4 mi on public land

  • Clear Creek Wildlife Management AreaState Department of Natural Resources · 3.1 mi

Nothing on this page grants or implies access.

Guides and shops near Clear Creek

About this

Listings marked Unclaimed are built from open map records and the business's own website: confirm licensing, rates, dates and hours directly.

Guides

No guide within 40 miles yet.

Shops nearby

No shop nearby yet.

How these are chosen

Guides whose own website names this water come first, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Shops: fly shops first. A distance is shown when the shop’s website gives its location (within 60 miles); otherwise the shop is in one of the towns within 25 miles of the water.

Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories.

Species and hatches

About this

The species the agency lists here; presence varies by reach and season.

Listed by the state agency

When the bugs come off

Regional hatch months: Driftless
About this chart

12 hatches charted for the region, not measured on this water. From Minnesota Trout Unlimited (secondary sources: an angling organisation or magazine, not an agency).

  1. January: no charted hatch
  2. February: no charted hatch
  3. March: no charted hatch
  4. April: 3 charted hatches
  5. May: 9 charted hatches
  6. June: 8 charted hatches
  7. July: 7 charted hatches
  8. August: 3 charted hatches
  9. September: 1 charted hatch
  10. October: no charted hatch
  11. November: no charted hatch
  12. December: no charted hatch

Giant stone (salmonfly) (April to May) · Hendrickson (April to June) · Little black caddis (April to May) · American grannom (Mother's Day caddis) (May to July) · Brown drake (May to June) · Light Hendrickson or pale evening dun (May to June) · and 6 more on the chart

Plan a trip here

About this

The Driftless: Viroqua & Westby hub (Wisconsin) is 28 mi away in a straight line but 48 by road, much of it on back roads, so we don't call Clear Creek near it. The trip planner builds a trip around the water itself: the guides and shops listed within 40 miles of it, its gauges and its nearest towns and airports.

Nearest hub: The Driftless: Viroqua & Westby, across the state line

Fish these abroad

About this

Matched on the fish the agencies list for both waters first, then the same water type, an official designation or flagship listing on both, and a similar mapped size where USGS hydrography covers both.

At most two waters per country. A shared fish is a listing, not a promise: presence varies by reach and season.

Like the Clear Creek? Same fish, overseas.

  • Evening sun on the green banks of the River Moy at BanadaFlagship water
    Photo credit

    The River Moy at Banada Priory. Photo: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    River Moy

    Mayo, Ireland

    Same fish: brown trout · also a freestone river

  • The Munster Blackwater running wide and calm between wooded banks below LismoreFlagship water
    Photo credit

    The Blackwater below Lismore. Photo: Gordon Hatton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Munster Blackwater

    Cork, Ireland

    Same fish: brown trout · also a freestone river

  • The Tongariro River running clear over boulders between steep native bushFlagship water
    Photo credit

    The Tongariro River from the Tree Trunk Gorge track. Photo: Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Tongariro River

    Waikato, New Zealand

    Same fish: brown trout · also a freestone river

  • The clear Radovna pooling below a spruce on a small island, beech forest aroundFreestone river
    Photo credit

    The Radovna. Photo: Mihael Simonič, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Radovna

    Gorenjska, Slovenia

    Same fish: brown trout · also a freestone river

  • The Derwent winding through its valley past farmland, hills behindFreestone river
    Photo credit

    The Derwent River from the Pulpit Rock lookout, Tasmania. Photo: Bill, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    River Derwent

    Tasmania, Australia

    Same fish: brown trout · also a freestone river

  • The braided Oreti River across green farmland, mountains on the horizonFlagship waterRepresentative photo · not Mataura River
    Photo credit

    The Oreti River near Lumsden, Southland. Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons Not Mataura River.

    Mataura River

    Southland, New Zealand

    Same fish: brown trout · also a freestone river

Fish it when it's winter here

Southern seasons open while ours close.

  • Lake Taupō's blue water framed by yellow kōwhai and bush, hills across the lakeFlagship water
    Photo credit

    Lake Taupō. Photo: Ériugena, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Lake Taupō

    Waikato, New Zealand

    Season open all year · DOC

  • Penstock Lagoon's open water below a shoreline of tall eucalyptsFlagship water
    Photo credit

    Penstock Lagoon, Central Highlands, Tasmania. Photo: Mike Cline, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Penstock Lagoon

    Tasmania, Australia

    Season open Aug–May · Inland Fisheries Service

  • The clear turquoise Río Limay flowing past green willows and rock outcropsTailwater
    Photo credit

    The Río Limay, Argentina. Photo: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Río Limay

    Río Negro, Argentina

    Season open Nov–May · Patagonian fishing regulation

  • The broad blue-green Río Puelo between forested banks, mountains beyondFreestone riverRepresentative photo · not Río Petrohué
    Photo credit

    The Río Puelo at Las Gualas, Cochamó. Photo: Nicolás from seno de reloncaví, Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Río Petrohué.

    Río Petrohué

    Los Lagos, Chile

    Season open Nov–May · SERNAPESCA

  • The Río Simpson running past the edge of Coyhaique under cliffs and hills in AysénLake or reservoirRepresentative photo · not Lago Llanquihue
    Photo credit

    The Río Simpson passing Coyhaique, Aysén. Photo: Manxuc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Lago Llanquihue.

    Lago Llanquihue

    Los Lagos, Chile

    Season open Nov–May · SERNAPESCA

  • Lago Nahuel Huapi's blue water and wooded islands below snow-capped Andes, framed by conifersLake or reservoir
    Photo credit

    Lago Nahuel Huapi from Llao Llao. Photo: David, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Lago Nahuel Huapi

    Río Negro, Argentina

    Season open Oct–May · Patagonian fishing regulation

  • The Waiau River flowing out of Lake Manapouri between bush-covered banks, mountains beyondFlagship waterRepresentative photo · not Mataura River
    Photo credit

    Lake Manapouri's outlet into the Waiau River. Photo: Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Not Mataura River.

    Mataura River

    Southland, New Zealand

    Season open Oct–Apr · Fish & Game NZ

  • Old timber pilings reflected in the still water of Great Lake, a low wooded shore beyondFlagship water
    Photo credit

    Great Lake, Tasmania. Photo: Peripitus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Yingina / Great Lake

    Tasmania, Australia

    Season open all year · Inland Fisheries Service

Gear checklist

About this

A practical checklist for fly fishing small mountain trout streams: a short 3–4 weight rod, light line, a few buoyant dries and simple wet-wading gear, with estimated prices and where to buy.

An angler stands on a boulder at the edge of a fast forest stream and fishes the run

Small mountain streams

7′6″–8′6″ rod, 3–4 weight, floating line · Brook, cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout

Open the checklist
Videos for this water (5)

Watch: reading a trout stream

About this

Seams, shelves and soft water, shown on real rivers.

Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.

  • How I Learned to Read Water (Fly Fishing)Embedded from YouTube · Mad River Outfitters · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
  • How To Read The Water with Tom RosenbauerEmbedded from YouTube · The New Fly Fisher · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
  • Reading the Water to Successfully Locate TroutEmbedded from YouTube · Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube

Not sponsored All videos on reading water

Watch: nymphing basics

About this

Indicator rigs, depth and detecting the take.

Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.

  • 90° Nymph RigEmbedded from YouTube · Huge Fly Fisherman · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
  • Casting with an Indicator & Better Nymphing TechniquesEmbedded from YouTube · The New Fly Fisher · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube

Not sponsored All videos on nymphing

Fish Tales

About this

Trip stories anglers chose to share publicly and tagged with Clear Creek.

No stories from here yet.

Sources for this page

Not a statement of access, fish presence or conditions.

Something wrong?

All 6 sources and dates

A water page organises discovery. It does not assert public access, legal access, current fish presence, guide availability or fishing conditions.

Flows, gauge statistics and flood stages come from USGS and the National Weather Service when the page is shown. Regulations, stocking, species and season statements link to the agency that publishes them; this page copies only the species names and the quoted sentences. Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories. Position: the Wild Trout Streams Open to Public Fishing published by Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Water type is our own classification.