What is the Driftless?

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The Driftless Area is a unique region of the Upper Midwest that was never flattened by the last glaciers. Because it was “missed” by the ice, it remains rugged and deeply carved with limestone valleys, spring creeks, and cold-water streams.

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In northeast Iowa, this geology creates ideal trout habitat — clear, cold groundwater flowing year-round through narrow valleys and fertile pastureland. It is unlike the rest of the state.

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What It Means to Iowa

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Northeast Iowa holds hundreds of miles of cold-water streams that sustain both stocked trout and naturally reproducing populations. With over 70 fishable trout streams, the region offers one of the most unique and productive cold-water fisheries in the Midwest.

This landscape represents a true conservation success story — where habitat restoration, improved land management, and responsible stocking programs have rebuilt and strengthened a once-declining fishery. Today, many streams support natural reproduction alongside carefully managed stocking efforts, creating sustainable opportunity and exceptional trout fishing across the region.

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Native and Stocked Trout

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Historically, Iowa supported native Brook Trout, the only trout species indigenous to the state. As settlement expanded and habitat declined, those populations disappeared.

Today, through habitat work and management:

• Brown Trout reproduce naturally in many Driftless streams
• Brook Trout have been reintroduced in select waters
• Rainbow Trout are stocked to provide opportunity and diversity

In fact, many northeast Iowa streams now hold naturally reproducing Brown Trout populations, reducing the need for stocking in certain areas. Strategic stocking programs, combined with stream restoration and watershed improvements, helped bring back what was once considered lost — a thriving trout fishery in Iowa.