Iowa DNR/ About 300 Iowa students from kindergarten to high school seniors participated in the Iowa Fish Art and Essay Contest; a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Wildlife Forever.
The Iowa Fish Art and Essay Contest uses art and creative writing to ignite children’s imagination while teaching them about fish and fishing. Students selected one fish from the featured list and created an original hand-drawn artwork and/or short writing entry.
Winning entries will be displayed during the 2026 Iowa State Fair in the DNR building.
Congratulations to the winning artists and authors:
 | Grades K-31st Place – George D., muskellunge2nd Place – Evelyn F., muskellunge3rd Place – Peter D., catfish |
 | Grades 4-6 1st Place – Blaise B., trout2nd Place – Theodore S., catfish3rd Place – Hope S., trout |
 | Grades 7-9 1st Place – Gavin, D., crappie2nd Place – Allysa C., crappie3rd Place – Aurora F., trout |
 | Grades 10-12 1st Place – Ryder P., trout2nd Place – Adriana A., carp, catfish, bluegill3rd Place – Adriana S., trout |
Essay Winners
4th-6th grade: Geerta W. Darter Poem
7th-9th grade: Julianne M. Bluegill Poem
10th-12 grade: Amelia G. Trout Essay