Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: The Mississippi River at Guttenberg has finally crested and river stage on Monday was 10.92 feet with a two foot fall expected by next weekend. Lansing was at 9.99 feet and Bellevue was 11.3 and falling. Main channel water temperature in Pool 10 has risen almost 10 degrees since last week and was at 60 degrees on Monday. Water temperature at Bellevue is 64 degrees. Even with the higher water conditions, anglers are catching fish on the Big Miss. Bluegills are biting in Norwegian and Methodist Lakes in the Sny Magill complex (Pool 10). Use a piece of night crawler under a bobber along the exposed shoreline in 2 to 4 feet of water with woody structure. Bluegills are also being caught on night crawlers fished on the bottom in the tailwaters of Pools 9 to 11. Fish near the dam along the rocks in areas of slack water. Bluegills and crappies are biting along the shorelines in Sabula Lake (Pool 13). Keep in mind that Sabula Lake is considered an inland lake and an Iowa fishing license is required. The tailwaters of Pools 9 to 11 are good areas for other fish species, especially freshwater drum (sheephead). Use a jig and minnow or other bottom bouncing lures, like Sonars, to catch nice-sized drum. Drum are also biting in sloughs that flow into the main channel. Use a heavy sinker to take the night crawler to the bottom for hungry drum. A few anglers are reporting walleye biting in Minnesota Slough (Pool 9). When fishing the sloughs for walleye, troll a three-way rig with a piece of night crawler or a deep-diving crankbait. Other sloughs to try walleye fishing in are Wyalusing Slough (Pool 10) and Cassville Slough (Pools 10 and 11). Walleyes are biting on the wing dams in Pools 12 to 15. Smallmouth bass are being caught on crankbaits and in-line spinners in Pools 9 to 11 in areas with some current along rocky shorelines or wing dams. Northern pike are being caught in Blackhawk Park (Pool 9) and Norwegian and Methodist Lakes (Pool 10). In these areas, use a spinner bait along weedy shorelines or submerged vegetation. Some largemouth bass are being caught in the backwater areas out of the current in Pools 9 to 11. Throw spinner baits or soft plastics along the shoreline with woody structure or submerged vegetation. A few channel catfish are hitting night crawlers fished in Pools 12 to 15. White bass are biting in the tailwaters of the lock and dams in Pools 12 to 15.

Turkey River (Fayette): Water level and clarity is good. Some smallmouth bass can be caught on light colored jigs.

Maquoketa River (Delaware): The Maquoketa is in excellent condition and fishing is good for bluegill, channel catfish, walleye and smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass fishing is good below the Delhi dam in the catch-and-release area on artificial and live baits. Walleye fishing is fair below the dam on jigs tipped with a night crawler.

Big Woods, Brinker and South Prairie lakes (Black Hawk): Crappie fishing is good using a minnow under a bobber along the shoreline.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Bluegill fishing is good on small jigs tipped with a piece of worm or wax worm under a bobber. Bluegills are now spawning on the rocks and woody structure, so fish close to shore in the early mornings to avoid heavy boat traffic. Anglers are also catching largemouth bass casting spinners and crankbaits along the shoreline. Channel catfish are biting on dead minnows and cut baits.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Largemouth bass are biting close to shore. Crappie and bluegill fishing is picking up.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Anglers fishing for crappie are reporting catching largemouth bass close to shore hitting jigs tipped with a minnow. Bluegill fishing has slowed as they are beginning to protect their nests.

Volga Lake (Fayette): Bluegill and crappie fishing has slowed.

Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing was good this past week. Drifting with shiners, minnows or leeches on Lindy rigs or leadheads were good producers during the day. Casting jigs and minnows under lighted bobbers are fair at night. Areas that produced were Anglers Bay, Templar Park and Reeds Run down to the south boat ramp in 8 to 15 feet of water. Bullhead fishing is fair at the North Grade using night crawlers. Largemouth bass are being caught in Anglers Bay and around Hales Slough throwing spinner baits. A few crappie and bluegills are being caught using minnows and mini-jigs tipped with leeches or wax worms in Angler's Bay.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Bluegills are being caught in the canals and around some docks. Anglers are catching largemouth bass in the canals and around flooded brush using soft plastic lures and jigs. A few smallmouth bass are being caught from Gull Point to Hiawatha Point and around Pillsbury Point.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is good below the spillway. Casting jigs with minnows or shiners in the current breaks produced many good fish. For still fishing, cast a slip weight above a floating jig head tipped with a shiner for action. Fishing for white bass was also good below the spillway and around the bridges using jig and minnow combos. A few crappies are being caught around Charleston Beach area. Good opportunities exist for channel catfish at the narrows with traditional catfish baits.

Center Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is good around the lake in 8 to 12 feet of water. Casting jigs tipped with minnows and twisters in the breaks has produced 14 to 18-inch fish. Evening bite has been best.

Little Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Crappies are being caught around shallow brush piles on jigs tipped with minnows.

Lost Island Lake (Palo Alto): Walleye fishing is fair in the evening casting jigs tipped with minnows. Bullhead fishing is fair near the bridge, using night crawlers on the bottom.

Silver Lake (Palo Alto): Bullhead fishing is fair.

Ingham Lake (Emmet): Anglers are catching 9 to 11-inch crappies along the rip rap.

West Fork Des Moines River (Emmet): Walleyes are being caught below the dam.

Willow Creek (Osceola): There is a good population of 3 to 5-pound channel catfish in this lake. Fish around the submerged brush and along the dam. Small bluegills are being caught around the shore using teardrop and worm under a bobber. Largemouth bass are being caught around the shoreline using plastic worms and jerkbaits.

Lake Pahoja (Lyon): Crappies and bluegills are being caught from the pier with small jigs and with minnows off the dam.

Rock River (Lyon): Anglers are catching northern pike using chubs on the bottom. Smallmouth bass are being caught using floating crankbaits.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Lots of small walleyes have been caught right off the dam using leeches. Bluegills are biting on a small worm set up. Smaller bass have been caught along the shoreline. Crappies of varying sizes have moved into shallow water and around submerged trees.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Crappies have been fair to good in Town Bay along the shoreline. Fishing is fair for walleyes using jigs tipped with leeches under a bobber. Don't forget the 15-inch minimum length on walleyes at Black Hawk. Yellow bass have been hitting small jigs on the windy, rocky shoreline.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Anglers are catching some catfish on a variety of baits. Fishing is excellent for white bass casting or trolling crankbaits. Walleye fishing is good to excellent trolling crankbaits.

Arrowhead Lake (Sac): Fishing is good for medium sized bluegills using small jigs tipped with a night crawler.

Crawford Creek (Ida): Fishing is good for 8-inch bluegill on small jigs tipped with a night crawler or a hook tipped with a night crawler under a bobber. The fish have started moving to shore to spawn.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing has improved. Water temperature is in the low 60s. Anglers are catching fish trolling crankbaits. Live bait fishing has been producing a lot of walleyes below the 14-inch minimum length limit. The yellow bass bite has been excellent in the afternoon. The north shoreline, outlet, island and Dodges Point are best. Anglers fishing in the shallow water, near the bank, are having the best action. Use small jigs, minnows and cut bait for the best yellow action. Fishing is fair for bullheads using night crawlers on the bottom at the Ventura Grade and Ventura Access. Channel catfish are hitting night crawlers and chicken liver in the west end of the lake.

Rice Lake (Winnebago): Bullhead fishing is good using night crawlers on the bottom.

Upper and Lower Pine lakes (Hardin): Crappies are hitting on both lakes. Fish the downed trees and rocky shorelines using small jigs and minnows.

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Crappies are being caught drift fishing in 10 to 14 feet of water, using small jigs suspended 4 to 8 feet off the bottom.

Briggs Woods (Hamilton): Crappies have been biting on small jigs and minnows. Fish the dam, the jetties or, if fishing by boat the outside of the vegetation.

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

 

Southwest

Don Williams (Boone): Crappie fishing is good using jigs and minnows in 5 to 15 feet of water over structure. Bluegill fishing has been good using night crawlers. Walleye fishing has been good for 14 to 16-inch fish. Channel catfish are being caught using chicken liver. Largemouth bass fishing has been good with fish over 15 inches.

Hickory Grove (Story): Crappie fishing has been good using worms/bobbers in deeper water. Bluegill fishing has been fair on worms. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair to good, particularly around the rockier areas.

Big Creek (Polk): Crappie fishing has been fair to good using jigs and minnows with the better fishing offshore in deeper water. Anglers reported catching smaller walleyes with jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing is fair to good with some nice-sized fish being caught.

Easter Lake (Polk): Fishing is good for 8 to 9-inch crappies using jigs and minnows suspended in 8 to 10 feet of water. Bluegill fishing is good using night crawlers and bobbers. Several walleye have been caught with some over 15 inches. Largemouth bass fishing is fair along the rocky areas. Channel catfish fishing has been good on night crawlers.

Saylorville Lake (Polk): Crappie fishing has been good, particularly in the Marina area and below the out from Big Creek Lake. The shallow water coves have also produced some nice crappie fishing. White bass/wipers are being caught below the outlet from Big Creek.

Below Saylorville Dam (Polk): White bass/wiper fishing has been good using jigs and/or minnows. Some nice walleyes have been caught further downstream. Crappie fishing has been good in the tailwater ponds with jigs and minnows.

Below Scott Street Dam: (Polk): Fishing is good to excellent for 8 to 12-inch white bass.

Rock Creek (Jasper): Crappies are good to excellent on jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing has been good fishing 3 to 5 feet deep from shore and from boats using night crawlers. Channel catfish, from 10 to 15-pounds, are being caught on cut bait and chicken liver.

Red Rock (Marion): Crappie fishing has been good using jigs in the Whitebreast area.

Below Lake Red Rock (Marion): White bass and crappie fishing has been excellent with jigs in the tailwater area. Channel catfish fishing has been fair using cut baits and liver.

Roberts Creek (Marion): Crappie fishing has been good to excellent using jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing has been slow.

Lake Ahquabi (Warren): Crappie fishing is fair with most anglers using jigs and minnows. Bluegill and redear sunfish fishing has been good, with some good-sized fish harvested. Largemouth bass fishing has been good, although most of the fish are below the legal length limit.

Hooper Lake (Warren): Crappie fishing has been fair to good with jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing has been good with small jigs and night crawlers. Largemouth bass fishing is best along the rocky dam area with crankbaits.

Contact: Dick McWilliams (515) 432-2823, Ext.108, for information on the above area lakes. For more information on general fishing in southwest Iowa, call the SW Regional Office in Lewis at 712-769-2587.

Farm Ponds: Fishing is good for bluegill in shallow water on night crawlers. Fishing is also good for crappie and largemouth bass.

Green Valley (Union): Crappies can be caught around cover or near the rocks on jigs and minnows. Some bluegill can be caught using jigs and night crawlers in the shallows. Bullheads are biting on night crawlers.

Three Mile (Union): Channel catfish fishing is good at the upper end using night crawlers and cut bait. Bluegill and crappie are biting over cover on jigs, night crawlers or minnows. Some walleye are being caught on leeches and night crawlers. The largemouth bass are around shallow cover.

Icaria (Adams): Channel catfish up to 2 ½ pounds can be caught with night crawlers.

Binder Reservoir (Adams): Channel catfish up to 2 ½ pounds can be caught on cut bait or night crawlers.

Little River (Decatur): Several nice crappies can be caught from shore in the rocks or near cover on minnows or jigs. Some walleyes are being caught trolling the points with night crawlers or leeches. Largemouth bass fishing is good.

Slip Bluff (Decatur): Some bluegills can be caught from the brush piles and the corners of the dam on night crawlers.

Wilson Lake (Taylor): Some nice bluegills are being caught near shore on night crawlers.

Windmill Lake (Taylor): Bluegills are biting near the corners of the dam and the coves on night crawlers.

West Osceola (Clarke): Large numbers of 8-inch crappie can be caught from the dam and from the flooded trees. The lake is 40 inches low. Use caution when using the east main ramp.

Badger Creek (Madison): Anglers are catching 7 to 9-inch crappie from shore near rock using jigs.

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Nice bluegills can be caught near shore on night crawlers. Some crappie can be caught near the standing timber.

Loch Ayr (Ringgold): Crappie fishing is good from the dam using jigs.

Three Fires (Taylor): Several 12 to 14-inch largemouth bass have been caught around structure and from the rocks of the dam. Several 2-pound channel catfish are being caught using night crawlers.

Contact: Gary Sobotka (641) 464-3108 for information on the above area lakes. For more information on general fishing in southwest Iowa, call the SW Regional Office in Lewis at 712-769-2587.

Orient (Adair): Fishing is fair for 2 to 3-pound channel catfish and 1 to 2-pound bullheads on minnows. Crappies are slow along the shoreline using minnows with a bobber. Bluegills are good using night crawlers with bobber.

Greenfield (Adair): Bluegills are good using jigs tipped with night crawlers. Fish from 8 to 9 inches are common.

Nodaway (Adair): Crappie fishing is fair using jigs and minnows. Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers in shallow areas. Greenfield and Nodaway have low water levels. Shore anglers best fishing would be off the dam.

Meadow (Adair): Largemouth bass are being caught around brush piles. Bluegills are also being picked up using night crawlers and bobber.

Littlefield (Audubon): Crappie fishing is fair using minnows on the east bay under the road and along rocky shoreline. A few channel catfish are being caught using night crawlers.

Anita (Cass): The lake is still 5 feet low and has limited shoreline access. The south boat ramp can be used with a small (14 foot) boat. The lake contains a good fish population and fishing should be good. Fishing for 12 to 15-inch largemouth bass has been good.

Manawa (Pottawattamie): Wiper fishing has slowed. A few are being caught along south shore with small jigs and spinners. Walleyes are fair drifting minnows and night crawlers along north and west shorelines. Crappie fishing is good using minnow and bobber in canals and along west shore. Bluegill fishing is fair using wax worms with a bobber around the boat docks. A few channel catfish are being caught using dead minnows.

DeSoto Bend (Harrison): Crappie fishing is fair using jigs and minnows along rocky shorelines. Channel catfish are being caught in shallow areas using night crawlers or dead minnows.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Crappies are good along rocky shorelines using jigs. Channel catfish fishing is fair in shallow bays. Largemouth bass from 3 to 5 pounds are being caught on rocky points using night crawlers with a slow retrieve.

Willow (Harrison): Crappie fishing is fair using minnows and bobbers in 8 to 10 feet of water. A few 7 to 8-inch bluegills are being caught.

Farm Ponds: Fishing is good for bluegills, using jigs tipped with night crawlers. Largemouth bass fishing is also good.

Contact: Chris Larson (712) 769-2587 for information on the above area lakes. For more information on general fishing in southwest Iowa, call the SW Regional Office in Lewis at 712-769-2587.

 

Southeast

Mississippi River Pools 16 to 19: The water temperature at Lock and Dam 16 (Muscatine) is 63 degrees and the river pool stage for Pool 16 is 10.15 feet. Water levels are expected to rise slightly over the next several days.

In upper Pool 16, fishing has been fair around the Arsenal Dam for walleye; however, fishing has been slow near the Arsenal. Fishing has been fair for walleye and sauger around the wing dams throughout the Mississippi River. Walleye and sauger have been biting on jigs tipped with minnows and crankbaits. White bass fishing has been good in the tailwater and spillway areas below the navigation dams, below the Arsenal dam, in Sylvan Slough, Credit Island area, and the mouth of tributary rivers and streams on jigs, spinners and minnows. Fishing for channel catfish continues to be fair in the backwaters and the mouths of tributary rivers and streams on shad guts, cut shad, night crawlers and shrimp. Catfishing has been best in the tributary rivers such as the Iowa and Rock rivers. Crappie and bluegill fishing continues to be fair in the back waters ….try Sunset Marina and Andalusia in Pool 16, Big Timber area and Huron Island in Pool 17, and Lake Odessa Pools 17/18. These backwaters are also producing a few channel catfish.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): Hopefully some warm weather this week will bring the crappies in for one last run. Anglers are starting to move their attention to bluegills as the males start to move in shallow to build nests.

Lake Darling (Washington): Water temperature in the afternoon is about 64 degrees. It looks like the crappies have given up on the spawn and have moved back to the deep water habitat. A few of the 5 to 6-inch fish are still in shallow. The bluegills are in shallow in the warmer bays. Look for increased numbers of 7 to 8 inch fish. Catfish are biting in the late afternoon and evening hours on chicken liver.

Lake Geode (Henry): The crappies are done spawning and moved to the creek channel and deeper water. Troll along the channel and ledges to pick up some nice 10 to 12-inch crappies. The bluegills and redears are in the shallows looking to build nests. Small jigs tipped with worms are a good bet to catch some very nice fish.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Warm weather, big bluegills in shallow. Cold weather, big bluegills in 10 to 12 feet of water. No matter where you find them they seem to be hungry. Small jigs tipped with wax worms or worm fished slowly seems to be the trick.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Crappies have been hitting on small jigs and small jigs tipped with a minnow. Walleyes have been biting on night crawlers being trolled along rock piles and drop-offs.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Crappies and bluegills have been hitting on small jigs fished in 10 feet of water and shallower. Largemouth bass have been hitting on a variety of artificial lures. Channel catfish have been biting on liver and cut bait.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Bluegills have been hitting on small jigs fished around shoreline structure. Largemouth bass have been hitting on a variety of artificial lures. Buzzbaits have been productive in the mornings and evenings. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits have also been productive.

Lake Hawthorn (Mahaska): Crappies have been hitting on small jigs fished in the standing timber. Largemouth bass have been hitting crankbaits and spinnerbaits fished around the rock jetties and other areas of the lake with riprapped shorelines.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): Crappies are expected to move shallow to spawn with the warm weather forecast. Try mid depths until water temperature comes up, then try shallower depths with jigs or minnows.

Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): Bluegills and redears had moved to the shallows before the cold weather moved in. When it warms up again, expect these fish to be shallow and biting.

Hannen Lake (Benton): By the end of the week crappies and bluegills should be shallow and more willing to bite. Try small jigs or wax worms around the brush for best results.

Pleasant Creek (Linn): Crappie fishing slowed a little due to the cool off but it is expected to pick up with the warming weather and warmer water. Try around the brush piles with jigs, minnows or wax worms.

Otter Creek (Tama): Anglers looking for action and tasty fish should come here for yellow bass. The size is marginal (6 to 8 inches) with an occasional larger fish, but numbers will add up for plenty of meat for a couple of meals.

Iowa River (Louisa): The river has slowly been dropping last week (about two feet). Anglers have still been catching a few channel catfish and a few flatheads.

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