Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: The Mississippi River is reaching its normal summer water levels and is 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 for bluegills. 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 passes through the area. When they are 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-way rigs with floaters or spinners tipped with half of a night crawler or a leech is also effective.

Largemouth bass fishing has been good to excellent throughout Pools 12 to 15 using 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 would be a good bass hangout. Also 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 local fishing including rock bass, white bass and flathead catfish. 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 or other small baits. Largemouth bass are hitting rubber worms. As a reminder, 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 warm water close to shore. Crappie fishing is fair to good on minnows, with larger crappies being caught from 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.

Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing has been productive on spinner/night crawler combinations in the basin. Many 14 to 16 inch fish are being caught with an occasional fish from 20 to 29 inches. Early or late in the day anglers will find activity around the foot bridge, Big Stoney Point, Buffalo Run and the weed line in Angler's Bay in 12 to 18 feet of water. Largemouth bass can be caught around docks and in Angler's Bay. Can also be caught around Hale's Slough along and within the bulrushes. Try using spinner baits. A few bluegills and yellow perch are being caught at Hale's Slough along and within the bulrushes using 1/32nd ounce jigs.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Walleye are being caught drifting a leech along weed lines in 18 to 23 feet of water. 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. Anglers are catching bullheads at the spillway. White bass can be caught along the trestle using minnows and white twisters. Panfish can be caught along the weeds and docks using small jigs tipped with live bait. A few large yellow 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 walleye. Shore anglers have caught walleyes off white twisters. Channel catfish are being caught around submerged brush in the evening fishing with cut bait.

Willow Creek (Osceola): Largemouth bass can be caught using night crawlers. 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.

West Fork Des Moines River (Emmet/Palo Alto): Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers fishing around holes and snags.

Silver Lake (Palo Alto): Bullhead fishing has been good fishing with night crawlers.

Anglers are also catching yellow perch and crappies.

Lake Pahoja (Lyon): Anglers are catching 6 to 7-inch crappies and bluegills, with an occasional yellow perch, on wax worms and tube jigs. Channel catfish are being caught in the mornings and evenings.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Anglers are catching a lot of small walleyes. Not as many crappies were caught last week, but a lot of nice bluegills were. Try using wax worms for bluegills. Bass are associated with structure and a lot of small bass are up next to shore. Remember the 15-inch minimum length limit on bass.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Anglers are still catching walleyes while trolling crankbaits and some anglers are catching their three fish limit of walleyes longer than the 15-inch minimum length. Fishing for channel catfish is excellent on stink bait, night crawlers and cut bait. Anglers are catching a lot of 1 to 2-pound fish.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Channel catfish fishing is excellent using stink bait, night crawlers and leeches. Limits of catfish have been caught trolling crankbaits as well. Walleye fishing is fair with some larger fish (18 to 22 inches) being caught trolling crankbaits or drifting leeches. A few white bass are being caught on crankbaits while fishing for walleye.

Crawford Creek (Ida): Fishing is good to excellent for bluegills and a few crappie casting or drifting little leadheads tipped with a piece of night crawler or wax worm. Bluegills average about 7 ½ to 8 inches.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing has been good. Fish are being caught trolling crankbaits or using live bait around the reefs. Remember Clear Lake has a 14-inch minimum length limit. White bass are being caught while fishing 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, stink bait 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 plastic lures along the shorelines. Bluegill fishing is good using wax worms. Crappies are being caught trolling small jigs in 6 to 10 feet of water. Channel catfish are hitting night crawlers or 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 on 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 with fish over 15 inches.

Hickory Grove (Story): Bluegill fishing has been good with worms. Channel catfish are being caught using night crawlers and other traditional baits. Largemouth bass fishing has been good, particularly around the rockier areas.

Big Creek (Polk): Crappie fishing has been good using jigs/minnows with better fishing in deep water offshore. Anglers reported catching smaller walleye with jigs and minnows. Bluegill fishing has been good using worms on 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. The 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 deeper water. Bluegill fishing has been good for anglers on shore and in boat. Use night crawlers and fish from 3 to 5 feet deep. Channel catfish fishing is good to excellent 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 caught. Largemouth bass fishing has been good, although most of the fish caught are below the legal length limit. Channel catfish fishing has been fair to good.

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 crank baits. Channel catfish fishing has been fair.

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 bluegills 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 in the flooded timber using night crawlers or liver. Some walleye are being caught on leeches and night crawlers from the mounds and steep drop-offs. 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 3 pounds can be caught with night crawlers or liver. The bullheads are biting well on night crawlers.

Binder Reservoir (Adams): Channel catfish up to 3 pounds can be caught on night crawlers or liver.

Little River (Decatur): 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 bluegills 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 fair using night crawlers with bobber and small jigs.

Greenfield (Adair): Fishing is fair for 7 to 8-inch bluegills using jigs tipped with night crawlers either fishing structure or drift fishing. Channel catfish are slow using liver.

Nodaway (Adair): Crappie fishing is slow using jigs and minnows. Channel catfish are being caught on liver 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 fair using night crawlers around the sunken trees. Crappies are slow around sunken trees using minnows.

Morman Trail (Adair): Fishing is slow for bluegills on rocked shoreline along south side of lake. Channel catfish is fair using liver and night crawlers.

Littlefield (Audubon): Anglers are catching a few bluegills by drifting night crawlers, but fishing is slow. Crappie fishing is slow drifting minnows. A few channel catfish are being caught using liver 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 outlet tube using white twister tails. Walleyes are slow drifting night crawlers and leeches close to rock shorelines. Channel catfish fishing is fair 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 fair in shallow areas using night crawlers, cut bait or shad. Freshwater drum are being caught on east shoreline using night crawlers on the bottom. A few walleyes are being caught drifting live bait rigs with night crawlers.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Crappies are fair along rocky shorelines using jigs. Channel catfish fishing is good on liver and prepared baits along rocky shorelines. 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 minnow and bobber in 8 to 10 feet of water. Bluegills are being caught in the 7 to 8-inch range. 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 77 degrees and the river pool stage for Pool 16 is 11.17 feet. Water levels are expected to remain stable over the next several days.

Walleye fishing has been fair on Pool 16 near Credit Island, outside Sunset Marina, and near the Interstate 280 Bridge on the Iowa side. Try fishing walleyes around the wing dams and rock piles with jigs tipped with leeches or minnows and crankbaits. Channel catfishing has been excellent on Pools 16 to 19 on various baits-worms, leeches, crushed minnows, dip baits, shrimp and dead shad. Channel catfish can be found around drift piles, in the backwater, and the mouths of tributary rivers and streams. Flathead catfish continue to be caught in the deeper holes throughout the Mississippi River, in the tail water 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 continues to be fair for largemouth bass in accessible backwaters on artificial baits and live bait rigs. Bluegill fishing has been good in the backwaters and below the emergency spillways. Try for bluegill and bass in the backwaters of Credit Island and Sunset Marina in Pool 16, Big Timber Area in Pool 17, Huron Island Pool 18, and Lake Odessa Pools 17/18. These backwaters will also produce good numbers of channel catfish.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): The summer lake level draw down continues so be aware of the water level while boating. Bass fishing has been fairly good in the early morning hours.

Lake Darling (Washington): Water temperature is in the upper 70s and 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 a big fish. Bluegills and bass are finishing their spawning activities with a few bluegills still on the beds.

Lake Geode (Henry): Bluegills and redears are staying off the deeper ledges and along the deep weed lines. Early morning hours are best as the fishing shuts down as the sun gets higher.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): The bluegills are biting in about 12 foot of water. Use ice fishing jigs tipped with wax worms.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Walleyes have been hitting on night crawlers trolled around rocky underwater islands. They have also been hitting on crankbaits and jig and minnow combos. Channel catfish have been biting on liver, cut bait and prepared baits.

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.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Bluegills have been hitting on a chunk of night crawler drifted in the deeper water. Largemouth bass have been hitting on a variety of artificial lures.

Lake Keomah (Mahaska): Channel catfish have been biting on night crawlers. Largemouth bass have been hitting on a variety of artificial lures.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): The bluegills are biting here. 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 shallow. Largemouth bass are feeding 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-water lures towards evening. Walleye anglers trolling crankbaits have run across some nice sized fish as well.

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

Coralville Reservoir (Johnson): White bass can be caught on jigs and small crankbaits pitched around the rock bluffs and down at the Reservoir dam.

Hannen Lake (Benton): Channel catfish are biting here on night crawlers and chicken liver. Rocky areas should produce best, especially towards dark. Smaller largemouth bass are consistently being caught on a number of lures.

Otter Creek (Tama): Anglers looking for lots of action should come here to fish for yellow bass. These scrappy, tasty fish are marginal in size but numbers will make up for it. Channel catfish are also picking up and can be caught on night crawlers and liver.

Skunk River (Washington): Water levels are approaching normal summer lows. Catfishing has slowed as the fish concentrate on spawning.

Iowa River (Louisa): Water levels remain navigable. Catfishing is slow with most of the channel and flathead catfish being caught being smaller immature fish. Anglers looking for the bigger catfish should be fishing along high cut banks targeting the larger spawning males.

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