This hotspot includes just the Iowa part of Pool 13 directly north of the dam to Bulger's Hollow.

Pool 13 of the Upper Mississippi River extends 34.2 miles from Lock and Dam 13 near Clinton to Lock and Dam 12 in Bellevue. Pool 13 contains 28,117 acres of aquatic habitat. The upper and middle portions of the pool contain many islands, channels, and backwaters while the lower pool is a broad expanse of open water. Limestone bluffs line much of the shoreline in Pool 13. The Maquoketa River empties into the Mississippi River in Pool 13. The Iowa DNR’s Green Island Wildlife Management Area is located below the mouth of the Maquoketa River. Pool 13 is also part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.