Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Due to unseasonably cold temperatures last weekend, fishing activity was minimal. River stage at Guttenberg is 9.4 feet and 10 feet at Bellevue and dropping. Water temperature was 49 degrees in Pool 10 and 52 degrees in Pool 12, but will gradually rise throughout the week. Water transparency is clear. The Lock and Dam gates at Guttenberg have returned to normal operation. Fishing activity should resume as air temperatures return to more seasonal levels. Largemouth bass fishing was fair in Pool 12 to 14 backwaters over newly emerged vegetation and a few were caught around woody structure. Huge common carp-up to 40 pounds-were biting on worms and night crawlers at the mouth of O'Leary's Lake (Pool 12). White bass fishing was good in Middle Sabula Lake (Pool 13) using small spinner baits.

Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek): Walleye fishing is good using dark colored jigs.

Turkey River (Winneshiek, Fayette and Clayton): Water clarity is very good and walleye fishing is good using jigs or minnows. Smallmouth bass are also beginning to bite. Trout fishing is excellent in Clayton County near the Big Spring Hatchery.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Bluegill fishing is fair to good on a piece of worm fished near the bottom.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Crappie fishing is good using small jigs or minnows fished under a slip bobber next to brush.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Crappie fishing is good on small jigs or minnows fished under a bobber next to structure.

Big Woods, Brinker, and South Prairie Lakes (Black Hawk) and Casey Lake (Tama): Fishing will improve later this week as air and water temperatures rise.

Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Crappie fishing was slow at the Grade and Templar Park. Smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing also slowed considerably. White bass fishing has picked up and some large fish are being caught near Buffalo Run and the Footbridge. Northern pike no longer has a closed season at the lakes and there is an excellent population of large fish available.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Fishing is fair for bluegills and crappies. Fish the Emerson Bay and Miller's Bay canals, and Lazy Lagoon with wax worms and small earthworms for bluegills. Crappies can be caught on minnows or tube jigs; think small in cold weather. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing is fair. Use small finesse worms and slow twitching suspended crankbaits. Anglers are catching some largemouth bass round docks.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): White bass fishing has been fair on the north end of the lake. Use small spinners or floating crankbaits.

Minnewashta (Dickinson): Anglers are catching a few walleye and white bass in the evening by the bridge using twisters and crankbaits.

Upper Gar (Dickinson): Panfish fishing is good around docks.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is still fair using twisters and shallow running crankbaits. The water is clear so try using solid colors. For live bait, try minnows or night crawlers on floating jigs heads or night crawler harnesses and work the bait slowly. Most shore activity has been on the west shore and Trappers Bay. Boat activity is concentrated around the island and the break lines on the south shore. The best time to fish is late evening.

Lost Island (Clay and Palo Alto): Walleye fishing is good. Try the east shore in the park or the southwest bridge. Anglers are catching some 9 to 10-inch crappies towards the evening.

Dog Creek (O'Brien): Crappie fishing is good around shore.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Walleye fishing if fair to good using twisters near shore. Remember there is a 15-inch minimum length limit on walleyes, with only one longer than 22 inches per day. Channel catfish fishing is excellent on live bait or shad entrails.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Channel catfish fishing is fair to good using shad entrails on the wind blown shorelines. Yellow bass have started biting near shore on small lead heads or mini-jigs. Fishing is good for 7 to 9-inch bullheads.

Brushy Creek (Webster): The recent cool, wet days has slowed fishing. As the weather warms, fishing should improve. Look for walleye along shore in 10 to 20 feet of water using minnows and leeches under a slip bobber. The bass will return to shallow water as it warms. Remember there is a 15-inch minimum length on bass. Anglers are catching a few bluegills.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing has slowed with the recent cool weather, but is should improve, along with yellow bass, as the temperature warms. Bullhead fishing is fair using night crawlers in the west end of the lake.

Briggs Woods Lake (Hamilton): Crappies are hitting on small jigs fished near shore.

Indian Lake - Eldred Sherwood Park (Hancock): Bluegill fishing is fair. Use small jigs and night crawlers near shore.

For more information on fishing in northwest Iowa, call the regional office in Spirit Lake at 712-336-1840.

 

Southwest

Fishing has slowed due to the cold temps and fish have moved into deeper water. Warmer temps will improve fishing again.

Green Valley (Union): Fishing is fair for large crappie over the deep rock structure. Big channel catfish can be caught using shad bait or liver in the shallow bays.

Three Mile (Union): Some walleye can be caught on crankbaits near the dam and over the rock piles. Crappies are starting to bite in deep wooded cover or over the deep brush piles. Channel catfish caught using blood bait or liver in the shallow bays and the upper end of the lake.

Twelve Mile (Union): Channel catfish can be caught on liver or blood baits at the upper end and in shallow bays.

Walnut Creek Marsh (Ringgold): Bluegill and crappie can be caught along the south dike using night crawlers and small jigs.

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Channel catfish can be caught in shallow water. Crappie and largemouth bass can be caught from the rocks. Some bluegill can be caught from the rocks or flooded trees. The lake is within two feet of full and the boat ramp is operational.

Little River (Decatur): Some medium sized crappie can be caught over the deeper rocks and trees. Some bluegills are being caught in the shallows on night crawlers. Channel catfish can be caught from the upper end and shallow bays.

Badger Creek (Madison): Some bluegill and crappie can be caught from the deep rocks of the jetties and off the rocked roadways using crawlers or light jigs.

Wilson (Taylor): Some crappie can be caught from the dam using light jigs.

Viking (Montgomery): A few bluegills and crappies are being caught in the coves and around structure using tube jigs tipped with minnows.

Cold Springs (Cass): Fishing is slow for 6 to 8-inch crappies using jigs/minnows in 6 to 8-feet of water.

Manawa (Pottawattamie): Recent fish surveys found a good number of walleye along beach area and north part of the lake near both boat amps. Walleyes can be caught by wading in and casting smaller jigs with twister tails tipped with minnows in the shallow, sandy areas.

Orient (Adair): Fishing has slowed for 7 to 8-inch crappies along the rocks in the evening. Try drifting in deeper water.

Mormon Trail (Adair): A few crappies and catfish are being caught.

Greenfield (Adair): A few crappies are being caught around brush piles using minnows. Anglers are also catching a few bass and bluegills.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Cool temperatures have slowed fishing success. A few crappies are being caught in 6 to 8 feet of water around structure.

DeSoto Bend (Harrison): Walleye fishing is good. Anglers are slow trolling night crawlers and leeches near new brush piles. Crappie fishing has slowed with cool temps, but a few are being caught using tube jigs tipped with minnows in 6 to 8 feet of water near new brush piles.

Willow Lake (Harrison): A few crappies are being caught in the brush piles.

Don Williams (Boone): Crappie fishing is fair using jigs and minnows. Largemouth bass fishing has been good, with a few nice-sized fish. Bluegill fishing has been slow.

Hickory Grove (Story): Crappie fishing has been good using crappie jigs. The fish are suspended just a couple of feet below the surface. Bluegill fishing is slow with worms/bobbers the best combination. Anglers are catching a few largemouth bass, but overall, fishing is still slow.

Rock Creek (Jasper): Bluegill fishing has been slow using jigs and wax worms. Crappie fishing has been fair to good using jigs and minnows. Largemouth bass and saugeye fishing has been good using soft bodied lures near the shore. Bullhead and channel catfish fishing has been fair using worms and/or chicken liver.

Big Creek (Polk): Crappie fishing has been spotty, with some good catches reported using jigs and minnows. Walleye fishing has been fair to good with spinner baits and bottom rigs.

Easter Lake (Polk): Crappie fishing has been good on jigs: most fish are 6 to 8 inches. Some nice sized walleye have been caught. Largemouth bass fishing has been spotty recently, although with warmer weather fishing should improve again.

Below Saylorville Dam (Polk): Crappie fishing was good to excellent in the tail waters of Saylorville; however the increased release rates from the reservoir has moved fish away from the tail water. Crappie fishing has been good in the backwater ponds below Saylorville. Northern pike, walleye and white bass fishing was good in the tail water prior to the increased release, so the best bet is to fish further downstream.

Lake Red Rock (Marion): Crappie fishing is starting to pickup. Try the shallow, warmer areas, and around the outlet from Roberts Creek. White bass fishing has been spotty, with the outlet from Roberts Creek one of the better areas.

Below Lake Red Rock (Marion): Walleye fishing is slow to fair in the tail water and white bass is good using jigs/minnows.

Roberts Creek (Marion): Crappie and white bass fishing has been fair to good near the outlet using jigs/minnow combinations.

Lake Ahquabi (Warren): Bluegill and crappie fishing has been slow to fair. Bluegills are being taken on wax worms and/or worms and crappies on jigs and minnows. Try the fishing jetties and off the fish house on the south side of the lake. Largemouth bass fishing has been good using spinner lures and also been hitting on hooks and worms.

For more information on fishing in southwest Iowa, call the regional office in Lewis at 712-769-2587.

 

Southeast

Mississippi River Pools 16 to 19: Fishing on the Mississippi River Pools 16 to 19 continues to be slow due to high water levels and windy and cold weather conditions. Fishing should improve as water levels and weather conditions stabilize. At the gauging station on Dam 16 (Muscatine) the water temperature is 54 degrees and the river pool stage is 10.40 feet and is expected to drop gradually over the next several days. In Pool 16 to 19, anglers continue to catch a few catfish but fishing has been slow. Channel catfish have been biting best on shad guts, shad, night crawlers, and green worms. Bluegill and crappie fishing has been slow in backwater areas.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): As this marsh complex is shallow it shouldn't take many warm days to bring the crappies back in to the shoreline trees. Nights in the 30s are keeping the crappies off the spawning beds.

Lake Darling (Washington): Warm weather forecasted for later this week should bring in the crappies.

Lake Geode (Henry): Angler numbers have been low due to the weather. The bridge over the spillway is still closed for rebuilding.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Anglers picked up a few crappies in the deeper water. They are also catching a few bluegills, but are working hard for them.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Crappie fishing remains slow. Some fish are being caught out in 20 to 25 feet of water using minnows. Channel catfish have been hitting on night crawlers. The best areas for channel catfish have been in places where the wind is blowing in.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Crappies have been hitting on small tube jigs. Largemouth bass have been biting on a variety of artificial lures.

Lake Hawthorn (Mahaska): Largemouth bass have been hitting on crankbaits fished around rocky shoreline areas. Crappies have been biting on jigs and minnows.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Largemouth bass have been hitting on spinner baits and other artificial presentations. Bluegills have been hitting on small jigs around structure.

Hannen Lake (Benton): Bluegills in the 6 to 9-inch range are still being caught, but have moved from the shallows to somewhat deeper water. Best reports are coming from 10 feet of water. Look for suspended fish as well.

Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): A few crappies are still being caught. The once shallow fish have moved out a little deeper during the cold spell. Look for suspended fish and try small jigs for best results.

Kent Park (Johnson): Some crappies and bluegills continue to be caught, although they are a bit deeper than last week. Try using small baits suspended off the bottom.

Skunk River (Washington and Henry): The water level remains high but it is certainly fishable. Bank poles are starting to produce some nice flatheads.

For more information on fishing in southeast Iowa, call the regional office in Brighton at 319-694-2430.