Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Water levels on the Mississippi River at Lansing is 8.85 feet and is expected to fall throughout the week. Water level in the tailwaters at Guttenberg is on a slow drop at 7.98 feet and temperature is 70 degrees. Water levels at Bellevue are stable and temperature is 72 degrees. A few walleye are being caught in Black Hawk Park (Pool 9) and near Lynxville (Pool 10) by trolling crankbaits, willow cats (madtoms) or a leech along the wing dams and sloughs or fish the shallow areas just before dark with jigs or crankbaits in 1 to 4 feet of water. Live baits are working best at this time. Walleye fishing is fair along the wing dams in Pools 11 to 15 using crankbaits, night crawlers and leeches. Bluegill fishing is fair to good in the backwater areas in Pools 9 to 15. The bluegills are beginning to spawn, so look for fish in shallow water next to the bank or along the flats and float a piece of night crawler under a bobber or a small jig in 1 to 5 feet of water. Fish the spawning beds near Black Hawk Park (Pool 9), the float near Genoa (Pool 9) or the tailwaters of Lock 10. Other good locations to catch bluegill include the Sny Magill area, Norwegian and Methodist lakes (all in Pool 10) and the tailwater areas just outside of the main current in shallow water in Pools 12 to 15. A few crappies are being caught in Pools 9 to 11 in deeper water with little or no current. Look for woody debris and suspend a night crawler, minnow or jig under a bobber in 1 to 7 feet of water. Crappie numbers and size are excellent this year in Pools 9 and 10, with many large fish observed by DNR personnel during spring netting. Freshwater drum are biting on night crawlers fished in the tailwater areas, sand flats off the main channel or the wing dams in Pools 10 and 11, and off the wing dams and the main channel in Pools 12 to 15. White bass (striper) fishing is good along rocky shorelines in Pools 9 to 11 and in the tailwater areas below Lock and Dam 11 to 14, with fish being taken on twister tails, shad raps, rattle traps, jigs and spinners fished in the current. Excellent white bass fishing has been reported from the tailwater area of Pool 9 using small white or silver spinners thrown into the current for quick action with these scrappy fish. Good catfishing has been reported in the tailwaters of Dam 10 and off the rocks in Pools 12 to 15. Night crawlers, chicken liver or cut bait fished in the main channel border or tailwater areas of Pools 9 to 11 have been successful. Also try fishing the logjams in Pools 12 to 15 for hungry cats using leeches and night crawlers floated under a bobber. Flathead catfish are starting to bite in Pools 9 to 11 as they begin to feed before their spawn. Use larger minnows or pieces of cut bait to catch flathead catfish. Largemouth bass fishing is fair to good in Pools 9 to 15 on a variety of traditional bass lures including soft plastics, crankbaits, spinner baits, top-water lures and jig-and-pigs fished around woody structure, vegetation and rocky shorelines in the backwaters and along the main channel border in areas with little or no current. Try fishing for smallmouth bass along any rocky shoreline in Pools 9 to 11 that has some current flowing by it. Smallies are being taken on black twister jigs and a variety of crankbaits. Northern pike can be found in the backwater areas in Pools 9 to 11 using spoons, spinner baits and shallow-running crankbaits. Look for areas with some vegetation and, as water temperatures increase throughout the summer, expect these fish to congregate near the mouths of coldwater tributary streams or springs that flow into the Mississippi.

Cedar River (Black Hawk), Shell Rock River (Butler) and West Fork Cedar River (Butler): Channel catfish fishing is good to excellent drifting a minnow, night crawler or leech below a bobber. On the Cedar River, look for channel catfish below the dams.

Maquoketa River (Delaware and Jones): Fishing for channel catfish is good to excellent using minnows and night crawlers. Smallmouth bass are biting on crankbaits in the catch-and-release area below the Lake Delhi dam.

Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek): Recent rains have muddied the Upper Iowa and fishing has slowed.

Turkey River (Clayton): Clarity is good and anglers are starting to catch fish. Don't hesitate to fish this scenic river if you have the opportunity.

Alice Wyth, Big Woods, Brinker, Fisher, George Wyth, South Prairie and other Black Hawk County lakes: Crappie and bluegill fishing is good to excellent minnows, wax worms, a piece of night crawler or small jigs. Bluegills are sitting on their beds and action is fast.

Casey Lake (Tama): Bluegill fishing is good using small jigs or a piece of worm fished under a bobber in the shallows. Fishing for channel catfish is good to excellent during the evening hours.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek) and Lake Hendricks (Howard): Bluegill fishing is excellent.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Fishing for channel catfish is good to excellent. Largemouth bass fishing is good using crankbaits or rubber worms.

Silver Lake (Delaware): Bluegills are on the beds and fish are biting on a piece of worm or jig floated under a bobber.

Volga Lake (Fayette): Anglers are catching big bluegills using wax worms and other live baits.

Sny Magill Creek, near Garnavillo in Clayton County, offers miles of quality trout stream for anglers to enjoy. Sny Magill is stocked twice per week with catchable-size rainbow and brook trout. The stream also has a significant population of catchable brown trout that were stocked as fingerlings and allowed to grow up on the stream. While there, check out the new, recently completed stream habitat work and the new angler access trail which begins in the parking lot near the kiosk. Sny Magill is well marked with signs to identify the area and you can use your Iowa Trout Fishing Guide for exact directions to the stream or go to the web site address and download a map to the area. Near the upper end of the stream there is a kiosk with a map showing the boundary of the entire public area and the stream section open to angling. Students from MFL-MAR-MAC High School completed a community service project by cleaning the Sny Magill area from trash earlier this spring.

Yellow River (Allamakee): If you want to try a trout fishing canoe trip, the Yellow River offers the perfect opportunity. Not only will you experience spectacular scenery, but fishing for brown trout can also be 'spectacular' with many 20+ inch trout caught each year. The best section for trout is from the Hwy. 51 bridge all the way to the Ion bridge on County Rd X36. Again, consult your Iowa Trout Fishing Guide for directions to the stream.

Trout fishing is excellent and stream conditions are good to excellent. For current trout stocking information, contact the Iowa DNR at 563-927-5736 or go on-line at www.iowadnr.com and check the fisheries web pages to view the 2005 stocking calendar.

For information on fishing in northeast Iowa, call the regional office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.

 

Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is good at Buffalo Run, Big Stoney Point, Reeds Run and from Marble Beach to Templar Park. Sorting for keeper fish is required. Use either a split shot and a hook or a jighead and tip it with either a leech, night crawler or minnow. Casting grubs and crankbaits in the vegetation during the day and on the rocky points at night has produced some excellent catches. Anglers are also picking up some nice walleye on the North Grade with fish up to 25 inches. Wader fishing has slowed some. Smallmouth bass fishing has picked up. Anglers are catching fish using leeches and assorted jigs and crankbaits over the rock humps and bars. A few northern pike and muskies are being caught in the south end and in Angler's Bay.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Bluegill fishing is good around the docks for fish up to 10 inches. Black hair jigs tipped with a wax worm is excellent bait. Largemouth bass fishing is good around docks on the main lake. Try Emerson Bay or Miller's Bay. Walleye fishing has been fair. Anglers are still picking up a few fish on many of the rock points at night and finding fish scattered in thick vegetation from 14 to 20 feet of water during the day. Try leeches or minnows when drift fishing. Trolling or casting crankbaits over rocky areas has also produced some nice catches. Anglers are catching a few pike while trolling for walleye.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is good. Try tolling a night crawler harness or crankbaits over 10 to 15 feet of water. Bluegills are biting around the docks. A few yellow perch are being caught while drifting with leeches or night crawlers.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing has slowed, but the size is excellent. Anglers are catching fish by drifting or trolling minnows or night crawlers.

Tuttle Lake (Emmet): Walleye fishing is good on the south end of the lake. Anglers are also catching walleyes above the dam using white twisters.

Trumbull Lake (Clay): Anglers are catching a few yellow perch fishing by the public access areas from shore.

Willow Creek (Osceola): Bass fishing is good. Anglers can find 14 to 16-inch bass using plastic worms or medium running crankbaits on the outside edge of the weeds. Bluegill fishing is good using a small worm under a bobber.

Lake Pahoja (Lyon): Crappie fishing is good, but the fish are on the small side. Try using small minnows around the structure on the south side of the lake.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Channel catfish fishing is excellent using a variety of baits. A lot of 2 to 5 pound fish are available. Walleye fishing is good trolling no. 5 shad raps. White bass fishing is also good throwing twisters or spinners from shore or trolling crankbaits.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Catfish fishing is very good on a variety of baits. Bullhead fishing is excellent using night crawlers all over the lake for 7 ½ to 8-inch fish. Walleye fishing is good using leeches. A lot of fish are below the 15-inch minimum length limit, but limits of legal fish have been taken.

Arrowhead Lake (Sac): Fishing is good for bluegills in shallow water. Use small black lead heads or a small hook tipped with a piece of night crawler under a small bobber.

Crawford Creek (Ida): Fishing is good for nice sized bluegills.

North Twin Lake (Calhoun): Walleye fishing is fair to good trolling crankbaits. Yellow bass fishing is fair to good along the shoreline. Fishing is good for huge bullheads.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Bluegills are moving to shallow water. Try either a wax worm or small piece of earthworm on a small hook. A few nice walleyes have been caught in the evening. Bass are starting to move into the shallow water as the lake temperature rises.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing has been slow. Trolling crankbaits and jig tipped with a minnow fished around the rock reefs are producing some fish. Yellow bass fishing is fair. The east shore, the Island and Dodges Point have been best. Use very small jigs for the best success. Bullheads are hitting night crawlers fished on the bottom.

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Crappie fishing is fair. Use small jigs and minnows drifting or trolling in 10 to 15 feet of water. The fish are suspended at 4 to 8 feet below the surface. Largemouth bass fishing is good. Pitching spinner baits along the shoreline is working best.

Interstate Park Pond (Franklin): Crappies are hitting on small jigs and minnows off the fishing jetty. Bluegills and hitting on small jigs and night crawlers fished around the shoreline.

Smith Lake (Kossuth): Bluegill fishing is good. Sorting is required for quality-sized fish. Use small pieces of night crawler or small jigs for the best success.

Silver Lake (Worth): Bullhead fishing is excellent. Use night crawlers on the bottom.

Rice Lake (Winnebago): Bullhead fishing is excellent. Quality sized fish are available in good numbers. Fishing a night crawler on the bottom provides the best action.

Lower Pine Lake (Hardin): Crappie fishing is good. Fish the ends of the downed trees around the island and shorelines. Largemouth bass fishing is good. Work the downed trees with jigs or spinner baits.

Lake Cornelia (Wright): Bullhead fishing is good off the jetty or any wind blown shoreline. Use night crawlers fished on the bottom. Walleye fishing is fair trolling crankbaits.

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

 

Southwest

Viking (Montgomery): Crappie fishing is fair using a small jig or minnow and bobber in 6 to 8 feet of water around structure. Bluegills are spawning; cast small jigs close to shore. Largemouth bass fishing is also good using plastic baits with a slow retrieve. Channel catfish are being caught using liver and stink bait.

Cold Springs (Cass): Channel catfish are being caught using liver. Crappie fishing is good around sunken trees. Bluegills are being caught off the spawning beds.

Manawa (Pottawattamie): Channel catfish are being caught using cut bait at Boy Scout Island. Walleyes are being caught along rocky shore in evening drifting night crawlers and trolling crankbaits. Largemouth bass fishing is fair using a slow presentation with spinner baits and plastic worms.

Orient (Adair): Fishing is fair for 7 to 8-inch crappies along the rocks. Channel catfish are being caught using liver early in morning. Bluegill fishing is excellent on spawning beds.

Mormon Trail (Adair): A few crappies are being caught around the jetties and sunken trees. Bluegills are being caught off spawning beds on south side of lake. Channel catfishing is excellent using liver.

Greenfield (Adair): Crappie fishing is fair around brush piles using minnows. Bluegills are spawning and readily caught off the beds using small jigs. Largemouth bass fishing is excellent using spinner baits. Catfish is also good using liver.

Littlefield (Audubon): Bluegill fishing is fair using small jigs. Find spawning areas near shore. Crappie fishing has slowed but some are still being caught using minnows and bobbers. Most crappies are 10 inches in length.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Crappies can still be caught along rocky shorelines. Bluegill fishing is good around spawning structures. Channel catfish are being caught in evening using dead minnows or liver. Largemouth bass fishing has picked up using crankbaits and plastic worms.

DeSoto Bend (Harrison): Walleye fishing is fair jigging minnows around brush piles and trolling crankbaits in evening in 6 to 8 foot of water. Bluegills, 6 to 6 ½ inches, are being caught on the spawning beds. Channel catfish are being caught using liver.

Willow (Harrison): Bluegills are being caught using worms. Crappie fishing is good using small jigs on corner of dam. A few catfish are being caught in shallow coves using liver.

Green Valley (Union): Some crappie can still be caught in the mornings and evenings near structure, and from deeper water during the day. Fishing is good for catfish on liver and blood baits. Some big bluegills can still be caught from shore with night crawlers or jigs tipped with wax worms. Fishing is good for big 12 to 13-inch bullheads on night crawlers.

Three Mile (Union): Some walleye can be caught on leeches and night crawlers off the big points. Channel catfish caught using blood bait or liver in the shallow bays.

Twelve Mile (Union): Channel catfish can be caught on liver or blood baits at the upper end and in shallow bays. Some bluegill and crappie can be caught during mid-day.

Walnut Creek Marsh (Ringgold): Big bluegill and some crappie can be caught along the south dike on night crawlers and jigs tipped with night crawlers.

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Channel catfish can be caught using liver in shallow water. Bluegill can be caught near shore using night crawlers.

Little River (Decatur): Crappies, 9 to 10 inches long, are being caught over the rocks and out in a little deeper water. Some bluegills are being caught in the shallows on night crawlers. Channel catfish can be caught using liver. Walleye fishing is good using leeches in and around the big points.

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

Wilson (Taylor): Bluegills can be caught in the bays from south shore.

Windmill (Taylor): Bluegill and some crappies are being caught in the morning and evening.

East Lenox (Taylor): Bluegills can be caught from shore using night crawlers.

West Lenox (Taylor): Some nice bluegill can be caught from the spawning beds in the corners of the dam. Some good largemouth bass can be caught near shore in the evenings.

West Lake Osceola (Clarke): Bluegills can be caught with night crawlers in the bays. Large numbers of crappie can be caught from the dam. Largemouth bass fishing is good.

Grade Lake (Clarke): B bluegills are good fishing in the corners of the dam and the points of the small bays, and fishing is good for medium sized bass.

Q Pond (Clarke): Some nice bullheads can be caught on night crawlers.

Don Williams (Boone): Crappie fishing is good with minnows and white jigs. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair. Bluegill fishing has been fair on worms. Several anglers reported walleye from 18 to 20 inches long. Channel catfish are fair on night crawlers.

Hickory Grove (Story): Crappie fishing has been good using crappie jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing is fair using worms and bobbers. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair, with a few fish up to 19 inches.

Rock Creek (Jasper): Bluegill fishing has been fair using worms. Crappie fishing has been fair to good near and around structure using jigs and minnows. Largemouth bass have been biting on top-water lures working shorelines. Channel catfish fishing has been fair to good using worms and/or chicken liver.

Big Creek (Polk): Bluegill fishing has been good with worms. Crappie fishing has been slow using jigs and minnows.

Easter (Polk): Crappie fishing has been good for 6 to 8 inch fish using jigs. Bluegill fishing has been good with some nice, 8-inch fish reported. Largemouth bass fishing has been good using plastic worms.

Saylorville (Polk): Crappie and white bass fishing has been good to excellent at the outlet from Big Creek Lake. A variety of fish species are being caught in this area on artificial lures.

Below Saylorville Dam (Polk): Crappie fishing was good in the tailwater ponds at Saylorville. White bass fishing has been good using jigs and/or minnows.

Des Moines River (Polk): Crappie and white bass fishing has been fair to good in the Des Moines River below Scott Street and Center Street dams.

Lake Red Rock (Marion): Crappie fishing has been fair, with some nice sized fish caught using a jig and minnow combination. The better areas are shallow with warmer water, around the outlet from Roberts Creek and in the Whitebreast area. Channel catfish fishing has been good in the upper reaches of the reservoir off old roadbeds.

Below Lake Red Rock (Marion): Anglers report white bass and crappie fishing has been fair to good using jigs in the tailwater area. Some nice walleye are also being caught.

Roberts Creek (Marion): Crappie fishing has been good near the outlet using jig and minnow combinations. Channel catfish fishing has been good near the outlet.

Ahquabi (Warren): Crappie fishing has been fair using jigs and minnows. Largemouth bass fishing has been good using plastic worms and spinner lures, although most have been below the legal length limit. Bluegill and redear fishing has been good with most fish taken on worms near the shoreline.

Hooper (Warren): Crappie fishing has been fair using jig and minnow combinations. Largemouth bass fishing has been good using plastic worms and spinner lures. Bluegill fishing has been fair to good.

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 has been fair. At the gauging station on Pool 16 (near Muscatine) the water temperature is 63 degrees and the river pool stage is 11.21 feet and is expected to remain stable over the next several days. Anglers continue to do well catching channel catfish on various baits. Crappie fishing has slowed. Anglers are catching a few crappie around Credit Island, South Concord area, and around Andalusia Island on Pool 16 on minnows, jigs and slip bobber rigs. Bluegill fishing continues to be good on worms and small jigs and bobber rigs. Bluegills have been caught in Big Timber and Lake Odessa on Pool 17 and the same areas listed for crappie. Anglers are also picking up a few largemouth bass. White bass fishing has been fair in the tailwaters. Walleye and sauger fishing has been fair in the tailwaters of Dam 15 and near Credit Island.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): Bluegill fishing remains good. Largemouth bass fishing has been good for the males protecting the nests. Look for these fish off stumps and tree falls in 3 to 4 feet of water.

Lake Darling (Washington): Crappies have finished spawning, but there are still a few small ones in shallow. Bluegills are on the nest in the shallow back bays with a sand and gravel bottom. Anglers are catching catfish in the evenings using minnows and chicken liver.

Lake Geode (Henry): Bluegill fishing is good with some nice sized males still on the beds. For some real action, try using a fly rod and poppers on a calm morning over the shallow water.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Bluegill fishing continues to be excellent: concentrate on the shallow water area where the fish are spawning and use small jigs tipped with wax worms or pieces of worm. Yeah, this is the same report as last week, but when they're biting, they're biting!

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Crappies have been biting along the rocky shorelines and out in deeper water around submerged habitat. A tube jig tipped with a minnow has been the best bait. Channel catfish have been hitting on cut bait and stink bait around Bridgeview and other rocky areas. White bass and walleyes have been hitting on jig and minnows.

Lake Hawthorn (Mahaska): Channel catfish have been hitting on cut bait. Crappies and bluegills have been hitting on small jigs.

Lake Miami (Monroe): Crappies have been hitting on small jigs drifted in 5 to 8 feet of water. Bluegills have been hitting on small jigs fished in the shallow bays. Largemouth bass have been hitting top-water lures in the mornings and evenings.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Bluegills have been hitting on jigs tipped with a night crawler. The weed edges and other habitat have been the best areas. Channel catfish have been hitting on liver and night crawlers.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): Crappies are being caught from the shallow water brush piles using minnows under bobbers or a jig and minnow combination. Large numbers of 5 to 8-inch bluegills are in the shallows and are usually eager to bite.

Pleasant Creek (Linn): Anglers are catching some 9 to 11-inch crappies that are still trying to spawn. Anglers are catching bluegills while the fish are in shallow spawning. Walleyes continue to be caught, with the best success being from trolling leeches.

Hannen Lake (Benton): Anglers are catching 6 to 9-inch bluegills in the shallows. Largemouth bass are being caught regularly in the shallows. Channel catfish are being taken on chicken liver.

Coralville Reservoir (Johnson): Channel catfish are in the shallow rocks to spawn and can be caught on a variety of live and dead baits.

Lake Iowa (Iowa): Bluegills are being taken on small worms. The shallow fish aren't as willing to bite as the ones that are out just a bit further. Some small bass are also being caught on a variety of presentations.

Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): Bluegills spawning in the shallows are being caught on small baits, while spawning catfish are being caught on night crawlers in the shallow rocky areas of the lake.

Union Grove (Tama): Crappies, bluegills and channel catfish are all being caught in the shallows right now. Try minnows or small jigs for crappies; small worms or wax worms for bluegills, and night crawlers or liver for catfish.

Kent Park (Johnson): Bluegills and crappies are being caught in the shallows on small baits, while channel catfish are being caught early and late in the day on chicken liver or night crawlers.

Iowa River (Louisa): Catfishing has been good and hopefully recent rains, while creating a little spike in water levels, won't change the fishing. Start working the cut banks, as the catfish should be starting to look for nesting sites. Until then, brush piles are still the best.

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