Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Water levels on the Mississippi River are reaching normal summer levels and projected to remain steady or drop slightly during the next week. Water clarity is excellent and main channel water temperature has risen steadily to 77 degrees as of Monday. River stages are 8.3 feet at Lansing, 6.0 feet at Guttenberg, 8.3 feet in Dubuque and 6.0 feet at Bellevue. Fishing continues to be outstanding.

Bluegills are moving off their spawning beds in the backwater areas in Pools 9 to 15 and heading towards areas with slight current. Bluegills are being caught on a piece of night crawler floated under a bobber in the shallow areas along the shoreline or a small jig fished onto the spawning bed. The pocket areas at the Lynxville (Lock and Dam 9) and Guttenberg (Lock and Dam 10) have been outstanding spots for bluegill. In addition, the wing dam areas near the shore have been excellent producers. To catch the last bluegills still on spawning nests, try backwater areas such as Black Hawk Park (Pool 9), Bussey Lake and the Sny Magill complex (Pool 10) and Swift Slough (Pool 11).

Freshwater drum (sheephead) fishing is excellent in Pools 9 to 15. These fish are being caught in the tailwater areas and along the main channel by fishing a night crawler on the bottom.

Walleye fishing has been good in Pools 9 to 11 and hit or miss in Pools 12 to 15 with many different weather fronts moving through the area. There can be a one to two day lull in the walleye fishing after a weather front moves through. When biting, walleye fishing has been good to excellent. Anchor above the wing dams and cast crankbaits or jigs over the top of the dam and work it back to the boat. Try trolling crankbaits near the closing dams for actively feeding walleye. Three-ways with floaters or spinners tipped with half of a night crawler or a leech also are effective.

Largemouth bass fishing has been good to excellent throughout Pools 12 to 15 using a variety of baits and lures including shad and crawfish imitating crankbaits, spinner baits and soft plastics. The key is to focus on structure. Look for areas with rock, wood or vegetation or try to find spots with a combination of these. For example, a snag along a rip rapped shoreline or a stump next to vegetation are good bass hangouts. Or try throwing spinner baits along the weed edges for hungry bass.

Smallmouth bass are being caught along rocky shorelines with current and associated along wing dams in Pools 12 to 15.

Fishing has picked up for channel catfish on night crawlers and stink baits fished along the upper sides of snags in deeper water in Pools 9 to 15. Channel catfish can also be caught along rocky shorelines floating a night crawler under a bobber.

Many other fish species are being caught and will continue to provide excellent localized fishing. These fish include rock bass, white bass and flathead catfish. All these species are predaceous fish eaters and will hit on a variety of jigs and spinners.

Cedar River (Black Hawk): The river is in good condition for anglers. Crappie fishing is good on jigs fished along the rocks below the dams. Channel catfish are hitting chicken liver.

Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan): Channel catfishing is good on night crawlers or chicken liver fished on the bottom.

Maquoketa River (Delaware): Fishing is good for channel catfish using night crawlers or chicken liver.

Brinker Lake (Black Hawk): Crappie fishing is fair suspending a minnow or jig in 12 feet of water. Fish close to structure for best results.

Casey Lake (Tama): Anglers are catching 8-inch bluegills in the shallow water using a piece of night crawler and other small baits. Largemouth bass are hitting rubber worms. As a reminder to anglers, there is an 18-inch minimum size limit on bass in this lake.

Fontana Lake (Buchanan): Fishing is excellent for bluegills and green sunfish using a worm suspended under a bobber. Largemouth bass are working the shorelines and hitting worms.

George Wyth Lake (Black Hawk): Channel catfish are biting on night crawlers and chicken liver fished around snags.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Hendricks is in excellent condition for fishing. Largemouth bass are hitting night crawlers fished close to the bottom under a bobber and on crankbaits. Bluegill fishing is excellent on worms fished under a bobber. Crappies are hitting little twisters. Fishing for channel catfish is good to excellent on night crawlers and chicken liver fished next to rocky structure.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Bluegill fishing is good on a piece of night crawler fished under a bobber in the warmer water close to shore. Crappie fishing is fair to good on minnows, with larger crappies being caught in the deeper water next to structure. A few channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers.

Plainfield Lake (Bremer): Bluegill fishing is good drifting night crawlers in the main lake.

Trout fishing excellent and stream conditions are good to excellent. Stocking information for specific streams can be found on the web by going through the DNR web site at www.iowadnr.com or directly to http://www.iowadnr.com/fish/news/stockrep/groupstock.pdf. Anglers may also call the recorded trout stocking information hotline at 563-927-5736.

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

 

Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing has been productive on spinner and night crawler combinations in 18 to 21 feet of water. Anchoring with a slip bobber or drifting with a leech has been productive for walleye on the east side of the lake. Shore angling in the morning has also produced some nice walleye ranging from 13 to 17 inches. Largemouth bass can be caught at the North Grade with leeches under a slip bobber and around Hale's Slough along and within the bulrushes. Try using spinner baits. A few bluegills are being caught at Hale's Slough along and within the bulrushes using 1/32nd ounce jigs. A few yellow perch are being caught at Hale's Slough along and within the bulrushes using 1/32nd ounce jigs. Black crappies are biting at the North Grade on small jigs.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits at night. Drifting along weed lines in 18 to 23 feet of water with a leech has also produced some walleye. Smallmouth bass have been biting at Fort Dodge and Gull Points on crawfish and artificial baits. Bluegills are being caught along the docks in Hayward's Bay, Emerson Bay, Miller's Bay and Atwell's Point with small jigs. Anglers should also fish emerging weed lines with leeches to find quality bluegills.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Freshwater drum can be caught at the spillway along with some bullheads. White bass can be caught along the trestle using minnows and white twisters. A few panfish can be caught along the weeds and docks using small jigs tipped with live bait. A few large perch have moved into the spillway area. Channel catfish are being caught on the north end using cut bait or stink bait.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye have biting on spinner rigs with night crawlers and leeches. Trolling crankbaits has also been effective for walleyes. Anglers are catching some small bullheads.

Willow Creek (Osceola): Largemouth bass can be caught using night crawlers and soft plastics. Bluegills and pumpkinseeds can be caught in shallow with small artificial lures or small jigs tipped with a piece of night crawler. Channel catfish can be caught using traditional catfish baits.

Silver Lake (Palo Alto): Bullhead fishing has been good with night crawlers. A few yellow perch and crappies are being caught.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Lots of small walleyes are being caught. Some nice bluegills, crappies and yellow perch have been biting. Best bait to use is a leech. Try for big bluegills in 10 to 15 feet of water, fishing just a foot off of the bottom.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Fishing is fair to good for walleyes trolling spinner rigs tipped with leeches or night crawlers. Channel catfish have been good on stink bait or night crawlers. Early morning or late afternoon has been the best time.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Channel catfish is good on stink bait, night crawlers and cut bait. Walleye fishing is fair to good trolling crankbaits. Remember that there is a 15-inch minimum length limit on walleyes and only one fish over 22 inches. A few white bass are being caught on crankbaits while fishing for walleye.

Crawford Creek (Ida): Bluegill fishing is fair to good drifting small jigs or ice jigs tipped with a night crawler. Fish are suspended about 5 to 8 feet deep. Crawford Creek Lake is 2 to 3 feet low due to lack of rain but the boat ramp is still functional.

Arrowhead Lake (Sac): Fishing is good for 7 ½ to 8-inch bluegills drifting a small jig tipped with a night crawler or wax worm. Bluegills are suspended about 3 to 8 feet deep. Only electric motors are allowed at Arrowhead.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing has been good. Fish are being caught trolling crankbaits or using live bait around the reefs. Remember that Clear Lake has a 14-inch minimum length limit. White bass are being caught while trolling for walleye. Bullhead fishing is good at the Ventura Grade and Ventura Access. Fish night crawlers on the bottom for the bullheads. Channel catfish are hitting on night crawlers and chicken liver in the mornings and evenings.

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

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Largemouth bass are being caught throwing spinner baits and plastics along the shorelines. Bluegill fishing is good using wax worms. The bluegills are on their spawning beds near shore. Crappies are being caught trolling small jigs in 6 to 10 feet of water. Channel catfish are hitting on night crawlers and stink bait along the south shoreline.

Crystal Lake (Hancock): Anglers are catching good numbers of bullheads on night crawlers. Channel catfish are hitting on chicken liver and prepared stink bait.

East Fork Des Moines River (Kossuth): Channel catfish are excellent using cut bait and worms near the snags.

Lake Cornelia (Wright): Channel catfish are excellent using chicken liver and night crawlers. Fish for catfish in the evenings, on the north shoreline for the best action. Bullheads are hitting night crawlers fished on the bottom. Some walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits. Largemouth bass fishing is good using spinner baits and crankbaits.

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

 

Southwest

Don Williams (Boone): Fishing is good for crappies on minnows. Bluegill fishing has been good using night crawlers. Channel catfish are being caught using chicken liver. Largemouth bass fishing has been good including fish over 15 inches.

Hickory Grove (Story): Crappie fishing has been good with worms and minnows. Bluegill fishing has been good with worms. Largemouth bass fishing has been good, particularly around the rockier areas.

Big Creek (Polk): Crappie fishing has been good using jigs and minnows with the better areas offshore in deeper water. Anglers reported catching smaller walleye with jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing has been good using worms on plain hooks with some nice-sized fish being caught. Channel catfish fishing is good.

Easter Lake (Polk): Fishing is good for crappies using jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing is good using night crawlers and bobbers. Largemouth bass fishing is fair along the rocky areas. Channel catfish fishing has been good with night crawlers.

Saylorville Lake (Polk): Crappie fishing has been good, particularly in the Marina area. Shallow water coves have also produced some nice crappie fishing.

Below Saylorville Dam (Polk): Walleye fishing has been good in the river using twister tails, leaches, minnows and jigs. White bass/wiper fishing has been fair using jigs and/or minnows.

Below Scott Street Dam (Polk): White bass fishing has been good.

Rock Creek (Jasper): Crappies are good on jigs and minnows in the deeper water. Bluegill fishing has been good using night crawlers fishing from 3 to 5 feet deep from shore and from boats. Channel catfish fishing is good with cut bait and chicken liver.

Red Rock (Marion): Crappie and white bass fishing has been good in the Whitebreast area and along the dam. Channel catfish fishing has been fair using cut baits and liver.

Below Lake Red Rock (Marion): White bass 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 using jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing has been fair.

Lake Ahquabi (Warren): Bluegill and redear sunfish fishing has been good, with some nice sized fish reported in the harvest. Largemouth bass fishing has been good, although most of the fish caught are below the legal length limit. Channel catfish fishing has been fair with worms or stink baits.

Hooper Lake (Warren): Bluegill fishing has been good with small jigs and night crawlers. Largemouth bass fishing is best along the rocky dam area with crankbaits. Channel catfish fishing has been fair with worms or stink baits.

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.

Green Valley (Union): Some crappie can be caught from the stake beds using jigs and minnows. Some bluegill can be caught from the structure using jigs and night crawlers. Bullheads are biting on night crawlers. Channel catfish are biting on night crawlers or liver.

Three Mile (Union): Channel catfish fishing is good using night crawlers or liver. Some walleye are being caught on leeches and night crawlers from the mounds and steep drop-offs. Largemouth bass fishing around the flooded trees is good. Some crappie can be caught from the mid-lake coves.

Icaria (Adams): Fishing is good for small to mid-sized fish of all species. Channel catfish up to 2 ½ pounds can be caught with night crawlers. The small walleye and mid-sized bullheads are biting well on night crawlers.

Binder Reservoir (Adams): Channel catfish up to 2 ½ pounds can be caught on night crawlers. Some 10 to 14-inch largemouth bass can be caught near structure.

Little River (Decatur): Anglers are catching some walleyes trolling night crawlers or leeches along the points. The channel catfish are biting on night crawlers and liver.

Three Fires (Taylor): Several 2-pound channel catfish are being caught using night crawlers or liver. The mid-sized bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass are biting well.

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. Crappies are slow along the shoreline using minnows with a bobber. Bluegills are good using night crawlers with bobber and small jigs.

Greenfield (Adair): Bluegill fishing is fair using jigs tipped with night crawlers and fishing the structure or drifting. Bluegills from 7 to 8 inches are common. Channel catfish are also good using cut bait and night crawlers.

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 good using jigs over sunken trees. Crappies are fair around sunken trees using minnows.

Morman Trail (Adair): Fishing is slow for bluegills on rocked shoreline along south side of lake. Channel catfish is good using dead minnows, liver or night crawlers.

Littlefield (Audubon): Bluegill fishing is slow, but a few are being caught by drift fishing with night crawlers. Crappie fishing is fair drifting minnows. A few channel catfish are being caught using night crawlers or cut bait.

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): Largemouth bass fishing is fair using plastic baits with a slow retrieve in canals and around Boy Scout Island. Fishing for wipers is slow with a few being caught on east shore by the outlet tube using white twister tails. Walleyes are slow drifting night crawlers or leeches close to rock shorelines. Channel catfish fishing is good with shrimp or cut bait close to shore around rocks. Fish in the 2 to 8-pound range are common. Bluegill fishing is fair using night crawlers or wax worms on a bobber in canals and around the boat docks.

DeSoto Bend (Harrison): Crappie fishing is fair using jigs and minnows around sunken trees. Channel catfish is good in shallow areas using night crawlers or cut bait. Freshwater drum are being caught on east shoreline using night crawlers on the bottom.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Crappies are fair along rocky shorelines using jigs. Channel catfish fishing is good on liver and prepared baits in shallow bays. Largemouth bass, from 3 to 5 pounds, are being caught on rocky points using night crawlers. Bluegills have slowed, but a few are being caught drifting jigs tipped with night crawlers.

Willow (Harrison): Crappie fishing is slow. A few are being caught using a minnow and bobber in 8 to 10 feet of water. The bluegills being caught are 7 to 8 inches. A few channel catfish are being caught using cut bait in shallow coves.

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 72 degrees and the river pool stage for Pool 16 is 11.37 feet. Water levels are expected to remain stable over the next several days. Fishing has been fair to slow on Pools 16 to 19.

Walleye fishing continues to be fair on the wing dams on crankbaits and live bait rigs. Anglers are catching a few walleyes outside Sunset Marina and where the Rock River flows into the Mississippi on Pool 16. White bass fishing has been slow. Channel catfishing has been fair. Some catfish are still spawning and males, especially, can be found close to the riverbank among rocks or drift piles. On Pool 16, channel catfish are being caught below Lock and Dam 15 around the mouth of Sylvan Slough and below the Arsenal Dam. Channel catfish can also be found around drift piles, in the backwaters, and the mouths of tributary rivers and streams on shad guts, cut shad, night crawlers, dip baits and shrimp. Catfishing continues to be best in the tributary rivers such as the Iowa and the Rock. Flathead catfish are being caught in the deeper holes throughout the Mississippi River, in the tailwater areas and below the emergency spillways of the navigation dams. Fishing for channel and flathead catfish has been best in the evening, night and early morning. Fishing has been fair for largemouth bass in accessible backwaters on artificial baits and live bait rigs. Bluegill fishing has been fair to good in the backwaters and below the emergency spillways. For backwaters try Credit Island and Sunset Marina in Pool 16, Big Timber area in Pool 17, Huron Island in Pool 18 and Lake Odessa in Pools 17/18. Try for crappies around fallen trees and stumps in the backwaters. Anglers have been doing fair on crappie in Huron Island and Credit Island. These backwaters are also producing good numbers of channel catfish

Lake Odessa (Louisa): The bluegills are finishing nesting and are moving to their summer areas. The summer draw-down continues so be aware when boating. Catfishing has been fair to good on chicken liver and minnows.

Lake Darling (Washington): Water temperature is in the upper 70s and the low 80s. Look for catfish nesting around the riprap. The flatheads are nesting in the culverts and culvert piles in the lake so try in those areas for a chance to hook into a big fish. Bluegills and bass are finishing their spawning activities with a few bluegills still found on the beds.

Lake Geode (Henry): Bluegills are moving from the spawning beds to the edge of the weed lines in 8 feet of water. Anglers are still catching nice fish out just a little deeper. For crappies, try trolling at the upper end of the lake by the beach along the old creek channel.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): The bluegills and redears have finished spawning and have headed for deeper water. Use small jigs tipped with worm or wax worms in 10 to 12 feet of water.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Crappies have been hitting on small jigs tipped with a minnow around brush piles in 20 feet of water. Walleyes have been hitting on night crawlers being trolled or drifted. Channel catfish have been hitting on liver and night crawlers.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Bluegills and crappies have been hitting on small jigs tipped with a wax worm. Largemouth bass have been hitting on a variety of artificial lures with buzzbaits being productive in the early morning and evening hours. Walleyes have been hitting jigs tipped with minnows and crankbaits.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Largemouth bass have been hitting buzzbaits in the early mornings. Bluegills have been biting on chunks of night crawlers drifted in deeper water.

Lake Miami (Monroe): Largemouth bass have been hitting a variety of artificial lures. Spinner baits and crankbaits have been the most productive. Channel catfish have been biting on liver.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): The bluegills are biting. What they lack in size, they should make up for in numbers. Use small worms around the rocks or downed trees. Some largemouth and spotted bass can also be caught around the shallow cover or deeper structure.

Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): Bluegills are still being caught but the spawn has tapered off. The channel catfish are starting to bite and the fishing should continue to improve and move in shallow. Largemouth bass are hitting on a variety of artificial lures.

Pleasant Creek (Linn): Largemouth bass are being caught around the dam and rock jetties. Plastic worms and crankbaits have been working best. Remember the 18-inch size limit. White bass have also been biting on small crankbaits and on top-waters towards evening. Walleye anglers trolling crankbaits have caught some nice sized fish.

Kent Lake (Johnson): Bluegills and largemouth bass are being caught here. Try small worms in the shallows for bluegills and plastics or crankbaits around the wood and rocks for bass. Channel catfish are also starting to bite, with best results early and late.

Coralville Reservoir (Johnson): Channel catfish are along the rock banks and fairly willing to bite. Use live bait for best results. White bass can also be caught on jigs and small crankbaits. These can also be found around the rock bluffs and down at the Reservoir dam.

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