Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Water level in the tailwater at Lansing is 7.74 feet and steady. Guttenberg on Monday morning was at 4.00 feet and steady. Bellevue was 4.30 feet and slowly dropping with a water temperature of 78 degrees. Bait shops are reporting slower fishing over the past week, but there is plenty of action to be had. With low water levels, anglers should concentrate on fishing the wing dams along the main channel border. Lower water levels can make it easier to locate the wing dams by the current break and the rock along the shoreline.

Walleye fishing has been slow over the past week in Pools 9 to 15. Fish a night crawler or crankbait along the wing dams. A few sauger are being caught in the tailwaters below Lock and Dam 10, but both size and numbers being caught are down.

Bluegill fishing has been good in Pools 9 to 15 for anglers who can locate fish. Concentrate around wood or rock structure or along vegetation in the backwaters and running sloughs and suspend a piece of night crawler 4 to 5 feet below the surface. Near shore, fish along the rocks bordering the main channel and drift a piece of worm a foot or two below a bobber for bluegills. Bluegills are staging along the wing dams. Float a piece of night crawler on the bottom next to the wing dams, but move if you don't get a bite within 15 minutes. Minnesota Slough in Pool 9 has produced good fishing for bluegills.

Crappie fishing is fair in Pools 11 to 15. Fish for crappies in the backwater sloughs or along the main channel border in areas with little or no current. Fish along woody structure and cast a tube jig or minnow 3 to 5 feet below the surface of the water. In Pool 11, anglers have been catching crappie under submerged trees in the Cassville Slough.

Fishing for freshwater drum (sheephead) has been fair to good in Pools 9 to 15. Use a night crawler fished on the bottom in front of wing dams and side sloughs for drum. Move until you find fish.

Channel catfishing has been fair to good in Pools 9 to 15. Anglers are using stink baits and night crawlers fished in deep and shallow water habitats. Some anglers like to fish for catfish along the face of the wing dams or in the deep water behind the outside edges of the wing dams using stink baits. When fishing for catfish, be ready to move if you don't have a bite within the first 15 minutes.

Yellow perch are being caught in Minnesota Slough (Pool 9).

Cast spinner baits or crankbaits along the face of the wing dams in Pools 9 to 11 for smallmouth bass.

Fishing for largemouth bass in Pools 12 to 15 has been fair to good using top-water lures, spinner baits and crankbaits fished around rocky shorelines in out-of-current areas or the main channel border in areas with less current. Bass are also being taken in vegetated areas in the backwaters using top-water lures and spinner baits.

Fair to good white bass fishing is being reported in Pools 12 to 15 with fish up to 18 inches being reported. Fish in and around the wing dams using small spinner baits or jigs thrown into the current. White bass can often be found chasing minnows to the surface. Cast a twister tail, rattle trap or small spinner bait (any imitation minnow lure) into the melee.

Cedar River (Black Hawk): Channel catfish are being caught using chicken liver, night crawlers and prepared baits (stink baits) drifted over the riffle areas. A few walleyes are being caught on lead-head jigs tipped with a night crawler.

Cedar River (Floyd and Mitchell): Walleyes are hitting night crawlers on small hooks and bright-colored jigs. Smallmouth bass are biting on spinner baits and dark-colored jigs.

Maquoketa River (Delaware and Jones): Smallmouth bass fishing is good on jigs and night crawlers fished in the river above Lake Delhi and in the catch-and-release area below the Lake Delhi Dam.

Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan): Channel catfish are biting on chicken liver and stink bait. Anglers are catching a few walleye on jig and night crawler combinations. Bluegills are also biting on a piece of night crawler.

Big Woods Lake (Black Hawk): Crappie fishing is fair drifting minnows 4 to 6 feet below the surface of the water.

Black Hawk County Lakes (including Big Woods, George Wyth, Mitchell, and South Prairie): Largemouth bass are hitting top-water lures fished in the evening.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Bluegill fishing is good using worms fished around the brush piles.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Bluegill fishing is good on a piece of night crawler fished under a bobber next to structure.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Largemouth bass are hitting plastic worms and jigs fished along the weed lines in the early morning hours. A few crappies are also being caught.

Silver Lake (Delaware): Bluegill fishing is good on night crawlers fished on the bottom.

Volga Lake (Fayette): Bluegills are good on small jigs and worms. Suspend your lure 3 to 5 feet below a slip bobber and fish next to structure.

Trout Streams: There are many excellent trout streams to take kids fishing in August and early September and they include Little Paint, Glovers, Bloody Run, Trout Run, Twin Springs, and the Turkey River. All of these streams are stocked regularly and flow through easily accessible park-like settings making it easy to enjoy. For specific dates for announced stream stockings on these and other unique trout streams, call the trout stocking hotline or go to the web page listed below. In case you can't make it during the week, remember that Bailey's Ford and Richmond Springs are stocked every Saturday morning through the first week of September and the Turkey River is stocked every Saturday through the end of September. Even if you can't make it to the stream on the day it is stocked, there are always plenty of trout in the streams to fish for.

Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Fishing overall has been slow. A few walleyes are being caught drifting live bait on the main lake and some fish are coming off the grade. A few perch are being caught along the weed line on the south end. Smallmouth fishing is slow. Most activity is occurring on the east side around Big Stoney, Little Stoney and Red Nose Point. Try using small grub style baits.

West Okoboji (Dickinson): Perch fishing has been good around Eagle Point using wax worms. Bluegill fishing has been good in the North Bay, Hayward's Bay and the reef from Pocahontas Point to Eagle Point. Small jigs tipped with a small piece of worm or leech will produce fish.

Willow Creek (Osceola): Catfishing has been good using chicken liver around the trees near the dam.

Fairview Pond (Sioux): Catfishing has been fair around the creek channel on the east side using night crawlers or chicken liver. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair using crankbaits in 10 to 12 feet of water.

West Fork of the Des Moines River (Emmett): Channel catfishing has been good using shrimp or night crawlers in pool areas.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Yellow bass are hitting night crawlers and small minnows in the deep water around the Island and Dodge's Point.

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Crappies are suspended in the deeper water and can be caught using small jigs and minnows. Most fish are between 7 and 10 inches.

Boone River (Hamilton): Channel catfish are hitting on night crawlers, chicken liver and stink bait.

Little Wall Lake (Hamilton): Channel catfish are being caught on chicken liver and stink bait.

Crystal Lake (Hancock): Channel catfish are hitting on stink bait and chicken liver. Fishing in the evening to early morning hours produces the best action.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Fishing for 2 to 3 pound channel catfish is good using stink bait. Fishing is fair for bullheads using night crawlers.

North Twin Lake (Calhoun): Fishing is good for big bluegills using small brightly colored lead-heads, especially chartreuse. Fishing is also good for big yellow bass using the same approach as bluegills. Channel catfish fishing is good.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Fishing is fair for catfish using various baits. Anglers are catching a few white bass by casting into shad schools.

Yellow Smoke Lake (Crawford): Fishing is fair for big bluegills. Fishing is good for 2 to 3 pound catfish using chicken liver. A few white bass, up to 18 inches, have been caught drifting with lead-heads and small Rapalas.

Crawford Creek (Ida): Fishing is good for 7 to 8-inch bluegill in deeper water and off the face of the dam.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Quality bluegills have been caught throughout the lake. Fish about a foot off the bottom. Some nice catfish have been caught along the shoreline and the face of the dam near the spillway.

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

 

Southwest

Don Williams (Boone): Channel catfish fishing has been good using chicken liver and night crawlers. Bluegill fishing has been good to excellent on worms. Anglers have caught a few nice sized crappies.

Hickory Grove (Story): Channel catfish fishing has good using chicken liver, with the best fishing in the early morning or evening. Bluegill fishing has been fair with worms. Crappie fishing has been slow to fair with jigs. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair to good during the early morning in deeper water.

Rock Creek (Jasper): Channel catfish fishing has been fair on worms and/or chicken liver. Largemouth bass have been biting on top-water lures.

Big Creek (Polk): Bluegill fishing has been good with worms. Channel catfish fishing has been good, particularly at night, with some nice-sized fish in the lake.

Easter Lake (Polk): Channel catfish fishing has been fair using worms and/or chicken liver. Crappie fishing has been slow with jigs. Bluegill fishing has been fair using worms and bobbers. Fishing is good for smaller largemouth bass using plastic worms and top-water lures.

Saylorville Lake (Polk): White bass fishing has been fair to good in various areas. Walleye fishing has been fair, particularly in the Cherry Glen area. Channel catfish fishing has been good, with the best areas north of the mile-long bridge.

Below Saylorville Dam (Polk): White bass/wiper fishing has been good using jigs and/or minnows, and 12 to 16-inch walleyes are reported throughout the river. Channel catfish fishing has been good from Saylorville dam to Cottonwood.

Lake Red Rock (Marion): Channel catfish fishing has been slow to fair using traditional baits, with the better areas in the upper portions of the reservoir. Crappie fishing has been slow, although some nice sized fish are being taken with jigs and minnows. White bass fishing has been slow, although should pick up with the warmer weather.

Below Lake Red Rock (Marion): Anglers report white bass fishing has been good using jigs and jigs and minnows in the tailwater area. Channel catfish fishing has been slow, but some nice fish have been caught.

Roberts Creek (Marion): Channel catfish fishing has been fair near the outlet using chicken liver or other traditional baits.

Lake Ahquabi (Warren): Channel catfish fishing has been good using chicken liver, night crawlers and stink bait. Largemouth bass fishing has been good using plastic worms and spinner lures, although most have been below the minimum length limit. Bluegill fishing has been slow with most fish taken on worms and wax worms.

Hooper Lake (Warren): Channel catfish fishing has been fair using chicken liver and stink baits. Largemouth bass fishing has been slow using plastic worms and spinner lures. Bluegill fishing has been slow using worms and bobbers around structure.

Green Valley (Union): Bluegills and crappies can be caught on tube jigs, night crawlers or wax worms in 6 to 8 feet of water around cover. Channel catfish are biting on liver or night crawlers.

Three Mile (Union): Channel catfish can be caught on liver and night crawlers in the bays on the outside of the weed line. Bluegill fishing is fair using night crawlers on the outside of the weed line or around the flooded trees. Some crappies are being caught from the flooded trees on about 6 to 10 feet of water.

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Some crappies are being caught around the flooded trees in 5 to 9 feet of water. Some channel catfish can be caught using night crawlers along the shore.

Little River (Decatur): A few crappies are being caught from the flooded trees. Some channel catfish can be caught using liver.

Icaria (Adams): Channel catfish up to 18 inches are being caught using liver or dip baits.

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

Anita (Cass): Channel catfish fishing is good. The lake is five feet low and boat ramps are not useable.

Cold Springs (Cass): Channel catfish fishing is slow but a few are being caught using liver in the evenings. Crappie fishing is fair around sunken trees. Bluegills are being caught with small jigs around structure.

Manawa (Pottawattamie): Channel catfish is fair using stink bait and liver on Boy Scout Island and the west shore. Walleyes have slowed but a few are being caught along west shore in evening drifting night crawlers.

Orient (Adair): Fishing is slow for 7 to 8-inch crappies drifting jigs and minnows. Channel catfish are being caught using liver in early morning and late afternoon. Bluegills are slow but are still being caught drifting night crawlers.

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

Greenfield (Adair): Bluegill fishing is fair drifting a jig tipped with night crawler. Largemouth bass fishing is fair using spinner baits. Catfish is fair using liver.

Meadow (Adair): Bluegill fishing is fair for 8 inch fish using night crawlers around sunken trees or by drifting a small jig tipped with a night crawler.

Littlefield (Audubon): Bluegill fishing is fair. Try drifting a night crawler in 4 to 5 feet of water. 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 close to shore in rocks.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Crappies and bluegill are slow, but 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 slow, but are still being caught jigging minnows around brush piles and trolling crankbaits in evening in 6 to 8 feet of water. Channel catfish are being caught using liver in evening.

Willow (Harrison): Bluegills are being caught using worms. Channel catfish are good being caught in the evening using liver.

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 Pools16 to 19 has been fair. At the gauging station on Pool 16 (near Muscatine) the water temperature is 80 degrees and the river pool stage is 11.27 feet and is expected to remain stable over the next several days. In Pools 16 to 19, fishing for channel catfish has been good on a variety of baits with worms, leeches, liver, shad guts and crushed minnows working the best. Bluegill fishing has been fair in all accessible backwaters, below the spillways on the dams, and in some side channel areas. Bluegills are being caught on redworms, worms, wax worms, and small jigs and bobber rigs. Anglers are starting to catch a few walleye around the wing dams and near the tailwaters. Anglers are catching a few crappies near Credit Island (Pool 16) and in Pool 19. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fishing has been fair on Pool 19 and below Dam 19.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): The inlet structure remains open providing fresh water to the lake. Water temperature is in the upper 80s. Look for some catfish to be around the inlet and on the riverside of the outlet.

Lake Darling (Washington): Catfishing is good in the evenings and early mornings on chicken liver. Concentrate around the riprap where the fish are feeding on young bluegills. Don't be surprised to find a few nice flatheads in the same areas.

Lake Geode (Henry): Look for bluegills around the ledges in 10 to 13 feet of water. Also try trolling for crappies using a three-way swivel rig and a minnow.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Bluegills are suspended in 10 to 12 feet of water. Ice fishing jigs and wax worms are catching them. Concentrate around the trees near the creek channel.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Walleyes have been hitting on vertically jigged presentations over the underwater islands and by trolling crankbaits in the same areas. Crappies have been biting on jig and minnow presentations fished around deep structure.

Lake Hawthorn (Mahaska): Crappies have been biting on a jig and minnow with the best success around deep structure. Some sorting is required for quality size fish. Channel catfish have been biting on liver and stink bait.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Largemouth bass have been hitting on a variety of artificial presentations. Bluegills have been hitting on small jigs.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Largemouth bass have been hitting on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Channel catfish have been hitting on stink bait and liver. Bluegills have been biting small jigs drifted through 14 feet of water.

Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): Channel catfish fishing has been good during warm summer days. Try chicken liver or night crawlers for best results. Bluegills and crappies can also be caught on the deeper structure on small jigs and wax worms.

Hannen Lake (Benton): Once again, catfish are biting on night crawlers and liver. Bluegills are also being taken from deeper water on small worms.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): Bluegills remain in the shallows and are willing to bite on small jigs or worms. Channel catfish are being taken in the slightly deeper, rocky areas on liver or sunfish.

Rodgers Lake (Benton): Try liver, night crawlers or stink bait for channel catfish.

Pleasant Creek (Linn): Troll crankbaits over rocky areas deeper water for walleyes. Largemouth bass are being caught on a variety of artificial lures and chubs.

Skunk River (Keokuk and Washington): Last week's rain brought the river back up. Boating should be easy enough and catfish should be looking for food that is still coming down the creek channels.

Iowa River (Louisa): The river is up just a little from last week's rain so boating will still be pretty rough. Look to the bigger brush piles for fish trying to keep cool.

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