For some time now I have been interested in finding a Smallmouth stream closer to where I live in Coralville. Spurred on by articles I recently came across on the internet, I had a little time this morning to check out a new spot that is within 30 minutes of my house, Indian Creek in southeastern Cedar Rapids.

I arrived at the creek by way of the Indian Creek Nature Center Parking lot, off Bertram Road, off Highway 13. From the parking lot downstream to the confluence with the Cedar River, was less than 1/2 mile of stream. Since recent rains had muddied both the creek and the river, my expectations were relatively low. The water level seemed a little high, but not being familiar with this stream, that is hard to say. At first glance, this did not look like what I have come to expect from smallmouth streams in northeast Iowa. Nonetheless, undaunted, I followed the Sac and Fox trail to the first overpass and tossed a buzzbait to the bridge piling. Nothing. Then I tried it over some wood in the stream... Nothing. Moving downstream to a railroad bridge, I switched to a Yamamoto Hula grub. After deadsticking this bait for 3 or 4 casts, I finally got the telltale twitch and set the hook. Much to my surprise, following a short tussle, I landed a 14 inch walleye. I have not ever ! caught a walleye on a soft plastic, this one drifting weightless no less.

Finally, I moved down to the mouth of the creek as it flows into the Cedar River. After several casts with no results, I switched to a Rebel Teeny Weeny Craw crankbait. I immediately hooked up with a nice little 10 inch smallie. In fact, I got 5 straight smallies ranging from 8 to 13 inches in five consecutive casts by casting to the line formed by the slightly muddy stream meeting the somewhat muddier river. After a few more casts brought no results, I switched to a teeny frog crank. Nothing. Back to a crawdad crank, this time a 2 inch Cotton Cordell Big O, wham, a 16 inch smallie! Several more casts didn't produce much, so I switched to a wacky rigged 4" Senko. I got a few more in the 12-14 inch range. Finally, I decided to see what lay upstream in this small stream.

After venturing off the beaten path and braving stinging nettles only to find lots of unappealing looking water, I headed back to the parking lot. Along the way I picked up a trail guide from the box at the trailhead. After looking this over, I realized that I could take a short drive up to the next trailhead and check out the stream from a bridge at that point.

Viewing the stream from the bridge was encouraging. At this point it looked much more like what I would consider classic smallie water. Lots of riffles, deep tailouts and some pockets that looked like good smallie holding water. I parked the truck and hiked down to the stream. Wading in for the first time, I tossed my trusted firetiger jointed rapala to the nearest smallie looking pocket. Over the next hour, I caught probably 20 smallish bass, 8 to 13 inches and in general had quite a nice time. All the while with traffic buzzing by on the bridge and foot traffic on the nearby Sac and Fox trail. I also got broken off by somethiing that took me right under a big log in the stream. Finally, I tail hooked a 6 pound sucker and I knew it was time to go.

I would say this stream very much took me back to when I was a boy, catching creek chubs at Pearson Park in West Des Moines. With the urban setting of the stream, it was not scenic like the Upper Iowa or even the Maquoketa River, but then again, it was an easy drive from my house for a couple hours of fast fishing.

I will definitely be visiting Indian Creek again. Hopefully later in the summer, the lower reaches will have cleared a bit. I think it definitely has big fish potential where it empties into the Cedar River. Upstream there is abundant rocky substrate and faster current that smallies are well known to gravitate toward. I consider this stream a perfect nursery for a healthy smallmouth bass population to stock the Cedar River. I hope to spend some time in the future exploring the big fish possibilities on the big river. All fish were released in good condition. Smallmouth Bass are too valuable a resource to not practice catch and release management. If this article prompts you to visit Indian Creek, I urge you to practice CPR (catch, photo, release) so that everyone will have this resource to enjoy.