Northeast

The Guttenberg and Lynxville, Wis., tailwaters are in open water condition and have fair fishing for sauger. The nice weather has caused fishing pressure to be fairly heavy. Most anglers are using 3-ways with a minnow or chartruse jigs and twisters tipped with a minnow.

Ice conditions are variable on the Mississippi River. It is an uneven ice year with many places having poor ice conditions. However small pockets of solid ice does exist, but mostly north of Guttenberg. All anglers must use extreme caution and never cross a flowing slough or any ice that looks unsafe.

Ice fishing in Pools 12 to 15 is not recommended. Open water fishing is occurring. Anglers are reminded the areas below the locks and dams are closed to fishing through March 15. No fishing is permitted is these areas.

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

 

Northwest

Ice conditions throughout north central Iowa is variable with most lakes having between 6 and 12 inches of ice. The average depth is 8 inches. Anglers are traveling by foot, with some using snowmobiles or 4 wheelers. No vehicle traffic has been occurring on area lakes.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Yellow bass fishing has been good in the morning hours and late afternoon. Fish are being caught with small minnows under a bobber or jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head or cut bait. Best action has been west of the Island, Billy's Reef, and State Dock off the north shore. Most fish are being caught in 8 to 14 feet of water. Walleye fishing has been slow. Lots of small fish are being caught, but only an occasional keeper, 14 inches minimum.

Rice Lake (Winnebago): Yellow perch fishing has been fair to good. Perch are being caught on minnows fished under a bobber in 3 to 6 feet of water. A few northern pike are also being taken.

Silver Lake (Worth): Yellow perch are being caught on the north shore near the campground on small minnows. Some sorting is required.

Indian Lake (Hancock): Bluegills are hitting during the early morning and late afternoon. Fish the outside edge of the weed line in 8 to 14 feet of water. Best baits are small jigs with insect larvae.

Lake Cornelia (Wright): Yellow perch have been biting off the north shore in 10 to 16 feet of water. Fish are being caught on jigging spoons tipped with minnow head or teardrop and insect larvae.

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Ice conditions are fair with most of the lake with 10 to 14 inches. Walleye fishing is fair with a few nice fish being caught in the evenings using jigging minnow style baits tipped with minnow heads. Anglers are concentrating off the deep bar between Cottonwood and Big Stony Point. Perch fishing has been sporadic with nice size fish being caught but some searching required. Anglers are have the most success on the south end, Buffalo Run and Crandall's Beach. A small spoon tipped with wigglers, wax worms or minnow heads all work effectively. Experiment to find what the fish want. A few crappies are being caught in Anglers Bay in the standing weeds.

West Okoboji (Dickinson): Walleye fishing has slowed. There is open water in the middle of the lake and many of the traditional walleye spots are unsafe. Smiths Bay and Emerson Bay are still producing a few fish in the evening along the weed line. Bluegills are being caught in Emerson Bay and a few at the north end. Small teardrops tipped with wax worms. Experiment with jigging style and color of baits. Perch are being caught in Hayward's, Miller's and Emerson Bays, but most fish are small.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Anglers are catching a few walleyes around the island in the afternoon.

Silver Lake (Palo Alto) Anglers are still catching a few 8 to 12-inch perch.

Trumbull Lake (Clay): Anglers are picking some perch, including a few jumbos, using minnows.

Willow Creek (Osceola): Bluegills are being caught among the trees. Willow Creek is a great place to take the kids for some action.

Dog Creek (O'brien): Anglers are catching perch, crappies and bluegills off the swimming beach, with activity picking up before dark.

Crawford Creek (Ida): Crawford Creek has 5 inches of ice so use caution. Bluegills and crappies are biting, with the crappie bite picking up after dark.

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

 

Southwest

Most lakes in southwest Iowa have no ice. Lakes in the region that do have ice should be considered unsafe.

Des Moines River: Walleye have been reported hitting below the dam at Saylorville and downstream to the Sycamore Access during the nice weather. Tackle has varied, but suggestions include jigging spoons and similar 'winter' type fishing lures. Some activity has been reported below Scott Street Dam and the dam at Red Rock.

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 to good. At the gauging station on Pool 16 (near Muscatine) the water temperature is 36 degrees and the river pool stage is 11.29 feet and is expected to remain stable over the next several days. The Mississippi River and backwaters are open and free of ice on Pools 16 to 19.

Pools 16 to 19: Fishing has been fair for walleye and sauger in the tail waters of Lock and Dam 16 to 19. Anglers report the best success at tailwater 15 (Davenport), tail water 16 (Muscatine) and tail water 17 (New Boston). Anglers are using jigs with twister tails or hair jigs, some anglers have success using sonars, cicadas, and jigging rapalas tipped with a minnow head. With the colder water, anglers should slow down their presentation of baits and, when using jigs, use as small of jig as possible but still be able to feel the bottom. Small jigs may be difficult to use in heavy current areas. Try using ¼ ounce, ½ ounce and 3/8 ounce jigs tipped with a minnow. If you're missing fish, try adding a stinger hook.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): Ice conditions are variable throughout the lake. Anglers continue to fish the shady, protected areas with some success on smaller bluegills.

Pleasant Creek (Linn): Ice conditions are variable. Some anglers continue to fish, but ice thickness and fish catches have not been reported.

Central Lake (Jones): Ice thickness of 6 to 7 inches with slow and steady bluegill catches are being reported.

Union Grove (Tama): Ice conditions are variable, but some anglers continue to fish and catch some smaller crappies. Anglers should be warned that the aeration system is now turned on down towards the dam.

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