Fisherman's Corner Campground

This used to be a favorite stop for us as we appreciate COE campgrounds and the hosts/volunteers who take such good care of them.
During Covid you would expect the facilities to be cleaned and sanitized at least daily. This is disappointing as the facilities were not cleaned during our stay.
There used to be a natural vegetation barrier between the train tracks and campground and the busy highway. Some how it appears it’s being removed so all the traffic noise and lights were very noticeable.
It has been a beautiful little oasis on the Mississippi.... not so much anymore......

We enjoyed our stay and appreciated the nice clean facilities. the bathrooms were clean and the showers were OK. We found it very quiet. You could hear trains going by on the other side of the river far away, but on our side we only heard one train in all the days we were there and that was during the morning. The spaces between the campsites was about 20 feet without more than a lawn in between. We had a nice little alcove at the back of our spot. We could not see the river from our campsite but we walked down to it often. You can see the dam and barges going past. there were floating lily pads, a lot of bird activity, frogs and we saw a muskrat swimming around each evening.

Just a short ways down from this campground is the Illinewek State Park which has a few hikes in the hills behind it. The campground also has a bike river trail that goes into the city from there and follows the river.

Our 45 foot long rig just fit in our spot.

We enjoyed our stay and appreciated the nice clean facilities. the bathrooms were clean and the showers were OK. We found it very quiet. You could hear trains going by on the other side of the river far away, but on our side we only heard one train in all the days we were there and that was during the morning. The spaces between the campsites was about 20 feet without more than a lawn in between. We had a nice little alcove at the back of our spot. We could not see the river from our campsite but we walked down to it often. You can see the dam and barges going past. there were floating lily pads, a lot of bird activity, frogs and we saw a muskrat swimming around each evening.

Just a short ways down from this campground is the Illinewek State Park which has a few hikes in the hills behind it. The campground also has a bike river trail that goes into the city from there and follows the river.

Our 45 foot long rig just fit in our spot.

Our campsite was on the Mississippi River overlooking Iowa. We got a great view of the sun setting over the Mississippi. The site was nice and had electric only. Well maintained and clean as well as big rig friendly. It is also located very close to Le Claire and Antique Archeology. We loved this place and are looking forward to our next visit.

General: We have really come to appreciate US Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) campgrounds. They are affordable (especially for seniors) and generally have decent facilities. Fishermans Corner was just an overnight stop for us since we could not get into our desired campground on a holiday weekend but for$10, it was a great value. Bugs were not too bad when we were there (October) which was surprising as it was so close to the river and still warm. The after-hours check-in procedure was a little confusing. We thought we needed to check in the following morning when the booth was open, however, we were chastised later in the evening by the grumpy “campground fee attendant” for not calling to register (we had reserved and paid online).

Sites/Facilities: Site 40 had an electric hookup site with a generous sized level concrete pad, picnic table, and fire grate. The sites are a little too close together for our liking (our neighbor’s a/c could have been like white noise to some but not me!) Some sites are directly on the water (Sites 8, 9, and 10) plus several more that have a view of the water; these are in the loop to the left of the entrance) and they are the best in my opinion. There are two loops with a bath/shower house centrally located between the two. There is a pit toilet at the end of each loop.

Bathhouse: The bath/shower house was decent (flush toilets, soap dispensers) and it was clean (although I did not use the shower so cannot comment on that).

Conclusion: Not too much to do although there is a nearby day-use area. Main con is the road noise, especially in the morning during commute hours. Although the campground is immediately adjacent to train tracks, I only heard one train around 10 am.

Visited: On a Thursday night in August 2020.

Accessibility: 5/5 About 1.5 miles from I-80. Perfect for an off & on overnight stay!

Site Quality: 5/5 very long and level concrete pads, electric, fire ring, picnic table, and water @ curb (we used 2 hoses and actually hooked up about 70 feet from our RV. Yes, you read that right!) Since we weren't expecting water on our site, we were happy to have this access. About 58 total sites @ this campground.

Facilities: 4/5 restrooms/showers were OPEN despite COVID Not the most glamorous, but decently clean.

General Comments: Campground was noticeably QUIET after 8pm (allowed for a great night's sleep) We scored a site right on the lake with a beautiful view of the lock and dam near Davenport.

The summer eve was decently "buggy" (probably from being so close to the river), but we somewhat expected that. LOTS of interesting birds along the marshy shore. A previous reviewer mentioned that ALL campgrounds should be set up like this, I AGREE!

Cell Service: Sorry, we did not take note of the # of bars, but we had solid cell/internet service on Verizon and AT&T.

This was a BEAUTIFUL campground, made MORE beautiful because of the riverfront views and $20 price !!

Typical solid C of E campground. Quite a bit of road noise but it dies down at night. Super convenient to I-80. Train tracks nearby but it’s a very lightly used line so not an issue.

Right on the Mississippi. Sites are laid out a bit awkward. Some had ample privacy while others were on top of the neighbors. Bathhouse was okay, not great but not terrible. Electric only at sites with water spigots scattered throughout the park. Dual dump station with additional potable water spigot.

Right on the Great River Bike Trail so a fantastic spot for bicyclists.

Stayed here about a month and a half ago on my trip out east. Now heading back west and stopped again. First time was a weekend and I had no reservation. The lady at the registration office was so nice and gave me a spot for the night that was usually reserved for volunteers. This time, it’s a weekday and after Labor Day so they had lots of open spots. She gave me a prime spot right on the water. She even remembered me from last time saying “you aren’t nearly as tan as you were last time you were here”. Amazing view of the sunset from my spot. Campground is very clean and quiet. Nice flush bathrooms with showers. A bit of road noise but not bad. I car camp so had plenty of space to park. I see all size rigs and no one seemed to have problems parking in the spots. Spots are a little close together but I didn’t hear anything from my neighbors. I like to run and there is a nice running/biking path just outside the campground. Good cell service which I need to work from the road. Would definitely recommend it here.