Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Water level in the tailwater at Lansing is 9.95 feet and is forecasted to begin dropping over the next few days. Guttenberg on Monday morning was at 9.47 feet and slowly falling with a temperature of 80 degrees. Bellevue is at 10.17 feet and stable with a slow drop projected and a water temperature of 80 degrees.

Good to excellent white bass fishing is being reported in Pools 9 to 15. Fish the tailwater areas below the dams using small white or silver in-line spinners and spinner baits thrown into the current. Small, Shad Rap crankbaits, rattletraps and twister tails can also be effective with white bass. Look for places where minnows are schooled and white bass can often be seen hitting the surface chasing these bait fish. The sand flats and wing dams near Harpers Ferry (Pool 10) have provided excellent white bass fishing.

A few walleyes are being caught in Black Hawk Park (Pool 9), near Lynxville (Pool 10), the ends of the sloughs around Prairie du Chien (Pool 10), and off the wing dams and side sloughs in Pools 12 to 15. Fish the wing dams and side sloughs tight to shore (areas with less current) using crankbaits, willow cats (madtoms), night crawlers or leeches. With the higher water levels, some walleyes have moved into the backwaters to escape the faster current. Also, fish the shallow areas (1 to 4 feet of water) just before dark using jigs tipped with live baits for hungry walleyes. Fishing the backwater areas can be more difficult, but nice walleyes can be caught this way.

Fishing for freshwater drum has been good to excellent in nearly all flowing water habitats in Pools 9 to 15. Use a sliding sinker with a night crawler or jig tipped with a minnow for drum. Good places to fish for freshwater drum include the tailwater areas, side channels, backwater sloughs, wing dams, sand flats, and the main channel border in areas with less current.

Channel catfish are starting to bite on worms, night crawlers, chicken liver, and stink baits fished tight to shore along the rocky shorelines and areas with some current in Pools 9 to 15.

A few flathead catfish are being caught in the tailwater areas and logjams in Pools 12 to 15 using cut baits, live fish and night crawlers.

Smallmouth bass can be found in current areas along natural rocky banks or along rip rap stretches of the river in Pools 9 to 11. Use black twister jigs, white or silver spinners, or a variety of crankbaits and pitch the lure as close to the rock as possible since smallmouth will hide in rocky crevasses.

Largemouth bass fishing is fair to good in Pools 9 to 15. Anglers are using a variety of traditional bass lures including soft plastics, crankbaits, spinner baits, top-water lures and jigs fished in the quiet pockets or backwater areas along the rocks and woody or vegetated areas. Largemouth bass fishing around Harpers Ferry (Pool 10) has been especially good using crank and spinner baits along the rocky shorelines.

Bluegill fishing is improving in Pools 9 to 11. Fish are being taken around snags or brush in 6 feet of water with a slight current. Shallow tailwater areas just outside of the main current are also good for bluegills. In Pool 10, fish for bluegills along the weed lines and up the spillway near Harpers Ferry, the Sny Magill area, Norwegian Lake and Methodist Lake using a piece of night crawler fished near the bottom in 1 to 5 feet of water. Desoto Bay (Pool 9) and Black Hawk Park (Harpers Ferry area in Pool 10) have also produced some nice numbers of bluegills. Anglers are using wax worms or a piece of garden worm fished next to the rocks.

A few crappies are being caught in Pools 9 to 11 in deepwater areas 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.

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 continue to increase throughout the summer, expect pike to congregate near the mouths of cold-water tributary streams or springs that flow into the Mississippi River.

Cedar and Wapsipinicon rivers: Fishing is poor due to recent rains which have flooded some of their tributary streams.

Upper Iowa River: Smallmouth bass fishing is good on bright-colored jigs. The Upper Iowa only rose slightly from the previous weekend's rains; however, fishing may be adversely affected if the watershed is inundated with additional rains later this week.

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

Casey Lake (Tama): Anglers are catching bluegills from boats by drifting a small piece of worm further out into the lake.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Bluegill fishing is good on a piece of night crawler fished under a bobber. Largemouth bass fishing is good. A few crappies are also being caught.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Bluegill fishing is fair to good on worms fished under a slip bobber. Largemouth bass are hitting on top-water lures. Channel catfish are biting on chicken liver and cut baits.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Fishing for channel catfish is good using chicken liver or prepared baits. Largemouth bass fishing is good using crankbaits or plastic worms.

Marten's Lake [Sweet Marsh] (Bremer): Largemouth bass are biting on spinner baits or plastic worms fished along the weed lines. Marten's Lake consistently produces some of the largest bass caught in the area. Boaters are reminded to thoroughly clean their boats, live wells and trailers after fishing Marten's to help prevent the spread of Eurasian water milfoil.

Volga Lake (Fayette): Anglers are catching bluegills using a piece of worm or wax worm fished under a bobber.

Turkey River (Clayton): The Turkey River at Big Spring Hatchery northwest of Elkader will provide excellent fishing as the river temperatures increase. From April through early June, trout stocked at Big Spring can spread out several miles upstream or downstream of the hatchery making them somewhat more challenging to catch. As the water temperature in the Turkey River increases in late June, trout become more concentrated near the cold-water spring outlets or below other remote springs that flow into the river. Generally speaking, trout will be concentrated for about a half mile below the hatchery during the hotter summer months. Combine concentrated trout numbers with a stream being stocked three times per week, and you get-great fishing! Also, don't forget that the Turkey River is stocked on Saturdays all summer long and provides great fishing opportunities for the weekend anglers. When the Turkey is a little muddy, live or artificial-scented bait works best, but as the river clears artificial lures become just as effective on trout.

Trout Streams: As we move into late June and early July, the marginal cold-water trout streams (Bear, Brush, Buck, Mink, Otter, Paint, Patterson, Silver, Spring, South Cedar, Swiss Valley, Turtle, Wapsi, and West Canoe) are dropped from the regular stocking regime and do not get stocked until cooler temperatures return in September. However, trout can still be caught in most of these streams by anglers interested in giving them a try. Of those streams, higher densities of trout can be found on Otter and Paint throughout the summer months. While some of the marginal streams are dropped from the regular stocking regimen during the hot summer months, stockings increase on other streams. During the summer months, trout stockings on Grannis and Glovers will occur twice per week with one stocking announced and a second stocking unannounced on each area. Look for more information on Grannis and Glovers in next week's Fishing Report. Bloody Run and Sny Magill are also stocked more frequently from June through August. Overall, trout fishing and stream conditions are good. 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 fair. Anglers are catching the bigger fish trolling weed lines at night and in the basin during the day. If numbers is what you are after, drifting or trolling live bait presentations is the way to go. Largemouth bass fishing is good. Use plastic worms around docks. Muskie fishing is good. Anglers are catching fish along the Angler's Bay weed line and the south weed line.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Largemouth bass fishing is good around docks using plastic worms. Smallmouth bass fishing has been fair around the rock points: try throwing jigs of various sizes. Bluegill fishing is good. Most fish are showing up around docks and weed lines. Try small garden worms or leeches tipped on small jigs under a float. A few yellow perch are being caught while fishing for bluegills. A few walleyes are being caught around some of the deeper rock piles.

Willow Creek (Osceola): Largemouth bass fishing has been good using top-water baits and plastic worms. Bluegills are being caught using small jigs tipped with worms.

Lake Pahoja (Lyon): Fishing for channel catfish is good.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Channel catfish fishing is good using a variety of baits. A few walleye are being caught on leeches but fishing is slow. Remember the 15-inch minimum length limit. Bullhead fishing is good using night crawlers all over the lake.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Channel catfish fishing is good using leeches, night crawlers and minnows. Walleye fishing is fair trolling crankbaits.

North Twin Lake (Calhoun): Bluegill and channel catfish fishing is good.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Webster County received heavy rains over the weekend and fishing conditions may change from the current report. Bluegills have finished spawning. Bass have been caught on a variety of lures close to shore. The best fishing set up is a small hook, live bait and a slip bobber.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Channel catfish are hitting on night crawlers, minnows and chicken liver. Bullheads are hitting on night crawlers fished on the bottom. Yellow bass have been difficult to locate, in any numbers, since they moved out of the spawning areas.

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Heavy rainfall in the area has created high water and turbid conditions in the lake. Crappie fishing should improve once water clarity starts to improve.

Lake Cornelia (Wright): Bullhead fishing is good off the jetty or any wind blown shoreline. Use night crawlers fished on the bottom. Cornelia has an excellent channel catfish population. Chicken liver, stink baits and night crawlers fished on the wind blow shorelines are the best techniques.

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

 

Southwest

Three Mile (Union): Walleye can be caught on leeches and night crawlers from the steep drop-offs near the big points and on the sides of the mounds. Channel catfish can be caught from the riprap and rock piles. Bluegills and crappies can be caught from the tops of the brush piles or the outside of the weed line.

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Channel catfish can be caught using liver in the riprap areas.

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

Criss Cove (Madison): Some nice bluegill can be caught with night crawlers from the outside of the cattails.

Viking (Montgomery): Crappie fishing is fair in 6 to 8 feet of water using a small jig or minnow and bobber around structure. Largemouth bass fishing is good using plastic baits with a slow retrieve. Channel catfish are being caught using liver and stink bait early in morning and late evening.

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 catfish is good using minnows and liver on Boy Scout Island and west shore. Walleyes are being caught along west shore in evening drifting night crawlers and trolling crankbaits.

Orient (Adair): Fishing is fair for 7 to 8-inch crappies drifting jigs and minnows. Channel catfish are being caught using liver early in morning. Bluegills have moved off spawning areas but are still being caught around structure.

Mormon Trail (Adair): Channel catfishing is good using liver or minnows in the evening. A few bluegills are being caught drifting jigs tipped with worms.

Greenfield (Adair): Bluegill fishing is fair drifting a jig tipped with night crawler. Largemouth bass fishing is good using spinner baits. Catfish 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 in length. Channel catfishing is fair using prepared dip bait and liver.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Crappies can still be caught along rocky shorelines. Channel catfish are being caught in evening using dead minnows or liver. Largemouth bass fishing is fair 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 feet of water. Bluegills have moved off spawning beds, but are still being caught around structure using night crawlers. Channel catfish are being caught using liver.

Willow (Harrison): Bluegills are being caught using worms. A few catfish are being caught in shallow coves using liver.

Don Williams (Boone): Crappie fishing is good using minnows and jigs. Channel catfish fishing has been good using chicken liver and night crawlers. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair with top-water lures. Bluegill fishing has been fair on worms.

Hickory Grove (Story): Bluegill fishing is good using worms under bobbers. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair using top-water lures, with a few fish up to 19 inches. Channel catfishing has been good using chicken liver.

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 catfishing is good using worms and/or chicken liver.

Big Creek (Polk): Bluegill fishing has been good on worms, with some nice-sized fish reported. Crappie fishing has been slow to fair using jigs and minnows. The better areas are near the dam and in the east arm of the lake. Anglers also report catching a number of walleye below the 15-inch minimum length limit. Channel catfishing has been slow to fair, but some nice-sized fish are being caught.

Easter (Polk): Crappie fishing for 6 to 8-inch fish has been good using jigs. 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 liver.

Saylorville Lake (Polk): Crappie and white bass fishing has been good to excellent in various areas, with some 10-inch plus fish reported. White bass fishing below the outlet from Big Creek has been one of the hot spots. Channel catfish fishing has been good to excellent using stink baits at the outlet from Big Creek Lake, primarily late evening or night.

Below Saylorville Dam (Polk): White bass and crappie fishing has been good using jigs and/or minnows with some nice sized walleye reported 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 and minnow combinations. The better areas are shallow and warmer, around the outlet from Roberts Creek and in the Whitebreast area. Channel catfishing 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 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 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 minimum length limit. Bluegill and redear fishing has been good with most fish taken on worms near the shoreline. Channel catfish fishing has been fair using traditional baits.

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 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 for anglers who have endured the recent warm weather. Fishing can be difficult in hot weather. Typically fish will be more active in the morning and evening hours. At the gauging station on Pool 16 (near Muscatine) the water temperature is 83 degrees and the river pool stage is 10.83 feet and is expected to remain stable over the next several days. In Pools 16 to 19, Fishing for channel catfish continues to be good throughout the river with leeches, worms, green worms and stink bait. Anglers continue to catch bluegill in all accessible backwaters on worms, wax worms, and small jigs and bobber rigs. Anglers are catching a few white bass in the tailwaters. Anglers report that the walleye and sauger fishing is fair. Try fishing for walleye and sauger in the tail waters and wing dams with crankbaits and jigs tipped with minnows or leeches. Flathead fishing has been fair on live baits; aggressive fish have also been caught on jigs and crankbaits. Anglers have caught a few northern pike and largemouth bass near Credit Island below Dam 15.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): Mississippi River levels are preventing the summer lake lowering. The water level drop will resume after the river goes down. The Toolesboro access has not been affected by the Mississippi River level.

Lake Darling (Washington): Fishing has slowed. Either that, or the 100+ degree heat index has been keeping the anglers away.

Lake Geode (Henry): Still a few bluegills on the beds but the majority of the fish have moved to deeper water to avoid the heat. Troll along the edges of the deeper weed beds in the early mornings for some nice bluegills.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Start working the creek channel in the trees for the bluegills as they try to beat the heat. Use tiny jigs or ice fishing jigs tipped with wax worms.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Walleyes have been biting on Lindy rigs, crankbaits and jigs tipped with a minnow on the mud flats and the underwater islands. Channel catfish have been biting on cut bait around the Bridgeview area. White bass have been hitting on jigs.

Lake Hawthorn (Mahaska): Largemouth bass have been hitting top-water lures fished in the mornings. Channel catfish have been biting on cut bait along the rocky shoreline.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Crappies and bluegills have been biting on small jigs fished in deeper water areas. Largemouth bass have been hitting top-water lures fished in the mornings and evenings.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Bluegills have moved to deeper water but are still being caught while drifting. Largemouth bass have been hitting on crankbaits.

Pleasant Creek (Linn): Channel catfish are moving shallow to spawn. These fish are aggressive and can be caught on a variety of baits. Large numbers of 5 to 8-inch bluegills are in the shallows and are usually eager to bite. Largemouth bass have been biting on 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 on chicken liver and night crawlers. Largemouth bass are being caught on a variety of artificial and live baits.

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

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

Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): Bluegills still remaining 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 the crappies, small worms or waxies for the bluegills, and night crawlers or liver for the catfish.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): Fish the rocky areas for spawning channel catfish. They are very aggressive and can be caught on a number of live or natural baits. Some bluegills are still holding shallow are willing to bite.

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. Many sub-legal sized bass can be caught on a variety of lures as well.

Iowa River (Louisa): Catfishing is fair. Try around the mouths of the feeder creeks as some of them are fed mainly by field tile, will be cooler than the river, and the cool water will be attracting the bait fish. Use cut bait or minnows for bait. Also keep on the lookout for mulberry trees with fruit…catfish love them

Skunk River (Keokuk and Washington): The water levels seem to have leveled off but it looks like the South Skunk is going up near Oskaloosa because of recent rain; that water should be here soon bringing the level back up at least for a while. Weekend catfishing was good using stink baits and cut baits coming into their own with water temps hitting the 80s.

Cedar River (Louisa): Catfishing has been good in the late evening on stink bait but the river is quickly rising with the forecasted crest at about bank full at Conesville around July first.

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