Dunbar Slough Fishing Guide, Greene County, Iowa

• Overview

  Dunbar Slough is one of the Greene County waters in Iowa. The country here is pine and birch. The water measures roughly 3 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest town is Glidden, 8 miles off. Further out sit Coon Rapids (8.9 miles) and Jefferson (12 miles). Within a short drive: Artesian Lake at 12 miles, Swan Lake 13 miles away, Goose Lake at 14 miles, Spring Lake 17 miles away and Lake Panorama at 21 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Dunbar Slough

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Greene County records list channel catfish, smallmouth bass, bluegill, common carp and green sunfish among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Dunbar Slough decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 18°F in January up to 74°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. The lid tends to go about late March and return around early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Dunbar Slough regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Dunbar Slough Wildlife Management Area runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Artesian Lake, 12 miles out. None of that is settled for Dunbar Slough in what we hold.