Northeast

Mississippi River - Water level at Lansing is 9.61 feet and stable. Water level in the tailwaters at Guttenberg is stable at 8.93 feet and temperature is 79F. Fishing over the past week slowed due to rising river conditions, but some fish were still being caught. A few walleye are being caught in Black Hawk Park (Pool 9), near Lynxville (Pool 10) and in the ends of the sloughs around Prairie du Chien (Pool 10). Try trolling crank baits, willow cats (madtoms) or a leech along the wing dams and sloughs. Some walleye are being taken on crank baits or three-ways tipped with a leech or crawler fished along the sand flats leading to deeper water. Also, fish the shallow areas with live baits just before dark with jigs or crank baits in 1to 4 feet of water for walleye. Walleye fishing is fair along the wing dams in Pools 11-14 using crank baits or three-ways tipped with a night crawler or leech. Bluegill fishing slowed due to rising river conditions, but some are being taken around snags or brush in 6 feet of water with a slight current and in tailwater areas just outside of the main current in shallow water in Pools 9-11. In Pool 10, fish for bluegills along the weed lines and up the spillway near Harpers Ferry using a piece of crawler fished near the bottom in 1 to 5 feet of water. Also in Pool 10, bluegills are hitting worms fished in the Sny Magill area, Norwegian and Methodist lakes. Other good bluegill waters include the backwater areas in Pool 10 and the tailwater of Lock 10. Bluegill fishing was slow in Pools 12-15. A few crappies are being caught in Pools 9-11 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. Better crappie fishing can be found using minnows fished in Pool 10 near the spillway by Harpers Ferry, the Sny Magill area, Norwegian and Methodist lakes. Fishing for freshwater drum has been excellent using night crawlers or jigs and minnows fished in the tailwater areas, sand flats off the main channel or the wing dams in Pools 9-11, and off the wing dams and the main channel in Pools 12-15. White bass (striper) fishing is picking up in the Pools 9-12 tailwater areas, with fish being taken on jigs and spinners fished in the current. Excellent white bass fishing has been reported off the sand flats and wing dams near Harpers Ferry in Pool 10 using small white or silver spinners thrown into the current for quick action with these scrappy fish. Small shad rap crank baits can also be effective with white bass. Look for places where baitfish are schooled together and white bass can often be seen hitting the surface, chasing schools of minnows around. Fishing is improving for catfish in the tailwaters and along the main channel border of Dam 10 and off the rocks in Pools 12-15. Stink baits have worked the best, but catfish are also being caught on night crawlers and chicken liver fished in the main channel border or tailwater areas of Pools 9-11. Also try fishing the logjams in Pools 12-15 for hungry cats using leeches and crawlers floated under a bobber. Largemouth bass fishing is fair but improving in Pools 9-15 on a variety of traditional bass lures including soft plastics, crank baits, 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 rocky shorelines in Pools 9-12 that have some current flowing by. Smallies are being taken on black twister jigs and a variety of crank baits. Northern pike can be found in the backwater areas in Pools 9-11 using spoons, spinner baits and shallow-running crank baits. 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 (Mitchell); Turkey and Upper Iowa Rivers (Winneshiek): Recent rains have muddied these rivers and fishing has slowed. However, some anglers are still catching trout near the coldwater outlets using various baits.

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 crank baits in the catch-and-release area below the Lake Delhi dam.

Shell Rock River (Floyd): Smallmouth bass fishing is good with jigs tipped with a crawler.

Casey Lake (Tama) is good for bluegills on 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): Bluegill fishing is excellent on a piece of night crawler fished under a bobber. Crappie fishing is good.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Bluegill fishing is good on worms fished under a bobber. Largemouth bass are hitting a wide variety of baits including top-water lures and spinner baits.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Fishing for channel catfish is good to excellent. Largemouth bass fishing is good using crank baits or rubber worms. Bluegill fishing is good on a piece of worm fished under a bobber.

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.

Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing has been good at Angler's Bay. Also, the south weedline and the north end in front of the footbridge have been good during the day using crawlers and leeches. The night bite has been good on the west side and along the reeds trolling shad raps in 10 to 14 feet of water. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair in thick vegetation around the lake using jigs and top-water baits. Muskie fishing has been fair in Angler's Bay and around the south end of the lake.

West Lake Okoboji (Dickinson): Bluegill fishing is excellent over the spawning beds using black jigs tipped with a waxworm or small garden worm. Largemouth bass fishing is good around docks using plastic baits.

Center Lake (Dickinson): Bluegills fishing is fair; look for spawning areas of sand. Most fish are being caught using a small worm. Crappies are also being caught on small jigs and worms. Catfish are being caught on cut bait.

East Hottes Lake (Dickinson): Anglers are catching crappies using small minnows around the outflow. Bluegill fishing is fair on small jigs tipped with waxworms.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is good trolling planer boards and drifting with crawlers. Fish range from 12 to 22 inches.

Tuttle Lake (Emmet): Walleye fishing has been fair with nice-sized fish being caught around the outflow; 17- to 21-inch fish are being taken.

Trumbull Lake (Clay): Yellow perch fishing has been good from shore using small minnows.

Silver Lake (Clay): Crappie fishing has been fair.

Lost Island (Clay/Palo Alto): Anglers have had success fishing from shore for bullheads.

Willow Creek (Osceola): Bass fishing with top-water baits has been good. Bluegill fishing off the docks and around brush has been fair.

Winterfield Pits (Sioux): Bass fishing has been fair around submerged brush, throwing diving crank baits and Carolina-rigged plastic baits.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Fishing for channel catfish has been excellent on a variety of baits. Lots of fish in the 2- to 5-pound range have been caught. Walleye fishing has been good trolling number five shad raps. White bass fishing has been good on twisters or spinners from shore or trolling crank baits.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Catfishing has been very good on a variety of baits. Bullhead fishing has been excellent all over the lake on night crawlers; most fish are 7 ½ to 8 inches. Walleye fishing has been good using leeches. Lots of fish are under the 15-inch limit, but limits of legal fish have also been taken.

Arrowhead Lake (Sac): Bluegill fishing has been good in shallow water. Small black leadheads or small hooks tipped with a piece of night crawler under a small bobber have been working best.

Crawford Creek (Ida): Fishing has been good for nice-sized bluegill.

North Twin Lake (Calhoun): Walleye fishing is fair to good trolling crankbaits. Yellow bass fishing is fair to good along the shoreline. Monster bullheads are also being caught.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Bluegill fishing is good. Fish close to shore using wax worms or a piece of worm. A few walleyes have been picked up throughout the day on leeches and night crawlers. Many anglers are catching bass throughout the lake.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing has been slow. Trolling crank baits and jigs and minnows fished around the rock reefs are producing some fish. Channel catfish are hitting on crawlers, minnows and chicken livers. Bullheads are hitting on crawlers fished on the bottom.

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Bluegill fishing is good on small jigs or pieces of crawlers. Fish are on beds near the shore.

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

Smith Lake (Kossuth): Bluegill fishing is good, although sorting is required for the quality-sized fish. Use small pieces of crawlers or small jigs for the best results.

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

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

Lower Pine (Hardin): 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 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. Crappies are in 6 to 8 feet of water around structure. Use a small jig or minnow and bobber. Bluegill fishing is fair; 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 fair around sunken trees. Bluegills are being caught with small jigs around structure.

Manawa (Pottawattamie): Channel catfishing is fair using cut bait and liver at Boy Scout Island. Walleyes are being caught along the west shore in the evening drifting night crawlers and trolling crank baits. 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. Most bluegills have moved off spawning areas but are still being caught around structure.

Mormon Trail (Adair): A few crappies are being caught around the jetties and sunken trees. Some bluegills are still being caught off spawning beds on south side of lake. Try fishing in 5 to 6 feet of water around structure. Channel catfishing is excellent using liver.

Greenfield (Adair): Crappie fishing is fair around brush piles using minnows. Bluegill fishing is fair drifting a jig tipped with a night crawler. Largemouth bass fishing is good using spinner baits. Catfishing is fair using liver.

Littlefield (Audubon): Bluegill fishing is fair using small jigs tipped with worms. Crappie fishing has slowed, but some are still being caught using minnows and bobbers. Most crappies are 10 inches.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Crappies can still be caught along rocky shorelines. Channel catfish are being caught in the evening using dead minnows or liver. Largemouth bass fishing has picked up using crank baits and plastic worms.

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

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

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

Three Mile (Union): Walleyes can be caught on leeches and night crawlers off the big points and over the rock piles. Channel catfish are being caught using blood bait or liver from the riprap and rock piles.

Twelve Mile (Union): Channel catfish can be caught on liver or blood baits. Some bluegills and crappies can be caught during mid-day.

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

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Channel catfish can be caught using liver in shallow water or the rocks. Some bluegills can be caught near shore using crawlers.

Little River (Decatur): Channel catfish can be caught using liver from rocks. Walleye fishing is good using leeches and crawlers around the big points.

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

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

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

West Lake Osceola (Clarke): Bluegills can be caught with crawlers in the bays or around the flooded trees. Largemouth bass fishing is good.

Grade Lake (Clarke): Fishing is good for bluegills on the outside edges of the weed line and for medium-size bass.

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

Don Williams (Boone): Crappie fishing is good to excellent using minnows and jigs. Channel catfish fishing has been good using stink baits. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair, with a few nice-sized fish. Bluegill fishing has been fair on worms. Several anglers have also reported catching walleyes with a few ranging from 18 to 20 inches.

Hickory Grove (Story): Crappie fishing has been good using jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing is fair, with worms/bobbers the best combination. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair with top-water lures, 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, although fish are starting to move into deeper water. Largemouth bass have been biting on top-water lures working shorelines. Channel catfish fishing has been fair to good using worms and/or chicken livers.

Big Creek (Polk): Bluegill fishing has been good with worms, with some nice-sized fish reported. Crappie fishing has been slow using jigs/minnows, although fish up to 12 inches have been caught. Anglers also report catching a number of smaller walleye below the 15-inch minimum length limit.

Easter (Polk): Crappie fishing has been good on jigs for 6- to 8-inch fish. Bluegill fishing has been good with some nice 8-inch fish reported. Largemouth bass fishing has been good using plastic worms. Channel catfish fishing has been fair using worms and/or chicken livers.

Saylorville (Polk): Crappie and white bass fishing has been good to excellent at the outlet from Big Creek Lake. Fish have been caught on a variety of lures with reports of nice-sized fish of a variety of species caught. Crappie fishing has been good in shallow-water areas of the reservoir with some 10-inch-plus fish reported.

Below Saylorville Dam (Polk): White bass and crappie fishing has been good using jigs and/or minnows, with some smaller walleye reportedly caught. Fishing has been good along Cottonwood access downstream from the dam.

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 jig/minnow combinations. The better areas are the shallower, warmer waters, 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 road beds.

Below Lake Red Rock (Marion): Anglers report white bass and crappie fishing has been fair using jigs in the tailwater area. Channel catfish fishing has also picked up with some nice fish being caught.

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

Ahquabi (Warren): Crappie fishing has been fair using jigs/minnows. Largemouth bass fishing has been good using plastic worms and spinners, although most have been sub-legal in size. 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/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 - 19): Fishing on the Mississippi River Pools 16-19 has been fair. At the gauging station on Pool 16 (near Muscatine) the water temperature is 70 degrees and the river pool stage is 11.32 ft. and is expected to remain stable over the next several days.

Fishing for channel catfish continues to be good throughout the river on dip baits, crawlers, leeches and shad guts. Bluegill fishing continues to be good in all accessible backwaters on worms and small jigs and bobber rigs. Bluegills have been caught in Big Timber and Lake Odessa on Pool 17. Crappie fishing has slowed, however anglers still report catching a few crappie. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair. White bass fishing continues to be fair in the tailwaters. Fishing for walleye and sauger has been slow, but a few fish are being caught in the tailwaters of Dam 15 and near Credit Island.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): Catfishing has picked up with lots of nice fish being taken. Cut bait and shad guts are working well as bait.

Lake Darling (Washington): Anglers are catching some nice catfish in the evenings on chicken liver and night crawlers. Start working the riprap as the catfish are starting to look for areas to nest. The bluegills are still in shallow, although they have moved off the nests. They might be a little harder to find.

Lake Geode (Henry): Bluegill fishing remains good although the fish have moved off the nests and into deeper water. Work the edges of the deeper weed beds with a jig and wax worm for some nice fish.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk) Bluegill fishing continues to be excellent. Work the deeper water in the trees. Remember with clear water, silence is golden and will lead to a lot more fish. Fish small jigs tipped with wax worms or pieces of worm.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Crappies continue to bite on minnows and tube jigs along the rocky shorelines and also out in deeper water around brush piles. Channel catfish have been biting on cut bait and stinkbait around the Bridgeview area. White bass have been hitting on minnows and night crawlers in shallow water and also out along the flats.

Lake Hawthorn (Mahaska): Channel catfish have been hitting on cut bait. Bluegills and crappies are hitting on small jigs. The panfish have moved out into deeper water around submerged structure.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Bluegills have been hitting on small jigs in the shallows. Crappies have moved out into deeper water. Largemouth bass have been hitting on a variety of artificial lures. Top-water lures in the mornings and evenings have been productive. .

Lake Wapello (Davis): Largemouth bass have been hitting on top-water lures fished in the mornings and evenings. Other artificial lures have also been productive in areas around submerged structure. Bluegills have been hitting on small jigs in the shallows. Channel catfish have been biting on night crawlers and stinkbait.

Pleasant Creek (Linn): Channel catfish are moving shallow to spawn and are very aggressive. They can be caught on a variety of baits. Large numbers of bluegills in the 5- to 8-inch range are in the shallows and are usually eager to bite. Largemouth bass have been biting on both live and artificial baits around the rocky areas of the lake.

Hannen Lake (Benton): Bluegills in the 6- to 9-inch range are being caught in the shallows. Channel catfish are coming in to spawn and are being taken by anglers on chicken livers and crawlers. Largemouth bass are being caught on a variety of artificial and live baits as well.

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

Lake Iowa (Iowa): Spawning channel catfish are feeding aggressively on livers and crawlers. Look for them in the shallow areas of the lake.

Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): Bluegills spawning in the shallows are being caught on small baits, while spawning catfish are being caught on 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 the crappies, small worms or waxies for the 'gills, and crawlers or liver for the 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 livers or crawlers. Many sublegal bass can be caught on a variety of lures as well.

Iowa River (Louisa): Catfishing has been good. River levels are remaining stable despite the recent rains.

Skunk River (Keokuk and Washington): River remains high, as the North Skunk seems to be providing quite a bit of water yet. Catfishing hasn't been bad but stable water levels would improve it.

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