Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Water levels on the Mississippi River are at its summer low and is projected to remain low. Extreme caution is needed when navigating at these low water levels. Wing dams and stumps are often just below the surface and can quickly damage boats and motors, as well as cause injuries to passengers. Water clarity is good and main channel water temperature is in the upper 80s. River stages are 12.6 feet at Lynxville, Wis., 3.96 feet at Guttenberg and 2.9 feet at Bellevue. Fishing continues to be good, but has slowed some with the extreme heat. Low water levels and high temperatures create low oxygen levels in the backwater areas, which drive fish into the main channel and running sloughs. Fish tend to congregate in deep water areas with a little current and are often associated with structure. Wing dams continue to be great areas for fishing. As the water gets shallow near shore, more fish are moving out into the deeper water towards the tips of these dams.

Bluegills are biting in Pools 9 to 15 in areas with current such as wing dams and daylight markers. The pocket areas near the dams at Lynxville (Lock and Dam 9) and Guttenberg (Lock and Dam 10) have been good locations for bluegills. In addition, the wing dam areas near the shore and the spillway areas of the locks and dams have been productive. Most anglers are using a piece of night crawler floated under a bobber.

Anglers are catching crappies fishing the lower ends of the sloughs near Harpers Ferry (Pool 10). Fish for crappies next to fallen trees in the deeper water areas with current.

White bass are schooled up now and action can be very fast in Pools 9 to 15. Watch for schools feeding on minnows. If you see areas where minnows are continuously being chased, try to maintain some distance away from the melee to avoid spooking the white bass. Any lure that has some flash, such as a spoon or spinner bait, will work. Anglers are also reporting success using white jigs, spinners or shad-colored crankbaits. Make long casts into the areas where the minnows have been breaking the water. White bass can be found anywhere throughout a pool, but areas close to Lock and Dams 9 and 10, exposed rocky wing dams, and the pocket below Lock and Dam 12 near Bellevue are especially good.

Freshwater drum (sheephead) fishing is good to excellent in Pools 9 to 15, in areas with current such as the tailwaters, tips of wing dams and along the main channel borders. Drum can be caught using a sliding egg sinker and a hook baited with worms or crawdads. If you plant to clean drum, store the freshly caught fish on ice until you fillet them. This will keep the meat firm. In addition, cut out the red meat from the rest of the fillet. If you take these two simple steps, drum are an excellent fish to eat.

Walleye fishing has been fair to good in Pools 9 to 15. Anchor above the wing dams and cast crankbaits or jigs over the top of the dam and work it back to the boat. Three-ways with floaters or spinners tipped with a night crawler or leech are also effective.

Largemouth bass fishing has been very good in Pools 9 to 15 using a variety of baits and lures including shad and crawdad-imitating crankbaits, spinner baits and soft plastics. Focus on areas with rock riprap or woody structure or fish the wing dams. You might also try spinner baits thrown along the weed edges for hungry bass.

Smallmouth bass are being caught in very good numbers in Pools 9 to 11. Smallmouth are found in swift current areas with rock. These areas are generally associated with main channel habitats including bank stabilization rock, day markers or wing dams. Spinners and crankbaits are the lure of choice for this feisty fish, but crankbaits seem to catch the larger fish.

Fishing has been very good for channel catfish on stink baits fished in the deep holes off the tips of the wing dams in Pools 9 to 15. Channel catfish can also be caught along rocky shorelines floating a night crawler under a bobber directly on top of the wing dams. Try Minnesota Slough (Pool 9) by New Albin, Harpers Slough (Pool 10) near Harpers Ferry or Cassville Slough (Pool 11) by Guttenberg.

Northern pike are looking for cooler water, so try fishing at the mouths of cool water tributaries or near flowing springs. Pike are usually caught on spinners, but when they get finicky, you may want to try a white twister tail fished slowly.

Many other fish species are being caught and will continue to provide excellent localized fishing. These fish include yellow bass, yellow perch, rock 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): Channel catfish are hitting chicken liver and leeches fished in the riffle areas below the dams. Walleye fishing is good on jigs tipped with night crawlers fished close to the bottom.

Cedar River (Mitchell and Floyd): Walleye fishing is good on jigs and crankbaits fished in deeper pools and in shaded areas. Smallmouth bass are hitting jigs.

Maquoketa River (Delaware): Fishing is good for channel catfish using chicken liver fished in deeper water around brush piles and outside bends. Walleye, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass were hitting jigs tipped with a night crawler.

Shell Rock River (Bremer and Butler): Anglers are catching walleyes on jigs tipped with a night crawler and on crawdad-colored crankbaits.

Turkey River (Fayette): Smallmouth bass are hitting dark-colored jigs. Walleye fishing is good in deepwater pools.

Upper Iowa River (Howard, Winneshiek and Allamakee): Smallmouth bass fishing is good on jigs. Fish the deeper pools and shaded areas during the heat of the day.

Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan): Fishing is good for channel catfish on prepared baits or chicken liver. The best fishing can be found after a summer storm moves through and river levels are rising.

Backbone Lake (Delaware): Largemouth bass fishing is good on plastic worms fished in the early morning and late evening hours.

Big Woods Lake (Black Hawk): Crappie fishing is fair to good on jigs tipped with a minnow.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Bluegill fishing is excellent on angle worms or a piece of night crawler fished under a bobber. Largemouth bass fishing is fair to good on dark-colored jigs.

Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): The walleye bite is fair using jigs along the weed line at Jackson Point. A few largemouth bass are biting on leeches suspended under a slip bobber at the North Grade and Buffalo Run. They are also biting around Hales Slough on plastic worms. Bullhead fishing at the North Grade has been fair.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing has been slow. A few have been caught in deeper water with lead core lines. White bass have been biting at the trestle using small white twisters during the day. Smallmouth bass can be caught along Fort Dodge and Pike's points using leeches, and near the trestle and Highway 71 Bridge on jigs. Bluegills are biting on small jigs tipped with leaf worms or leeches at Echo and Miller's bays and Atwell's Point in 20 feet of water. A few yellow perch are biting at Pocahontas and Eagle points, Brown's and Hayward's bays on small jigs tipped with live bait, sorting is required.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Freshwater drum, channel catfish and bullhead are biting at the north end of the lake using chicken liver.

Little Sioux River (Dickinson-Clay): Anglers are catching channel catfish on crawdads. A few walleyes have been caught in the holes on leeches. Look for holes that possess suitable habitat for walleye.

Lost Island Lake (Clay-Palo Alto): Channel catfish are biting on cut bait.

Willow Creek (Osceola): Bluegills are biting on small jigs along the docks on artificial lures and jigs tipped with live bait. Largemouth bass can be caught on surface baits.

West Fork of the Des Moines River (Emmet): Channel catfish are good on night crawlers and frogs.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Fishing remains slow with all the hot weather this past two weeks. Try for bass along submerged trees. Larger bluegills can be found in deeper water around standing trees.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Fishing is good for catfish on stink bait, crawdads, liver and leeches.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Fishing is good to excellent for channel catfish, especially from shore on a variety of baits.

Crawford Creek (Ida): Due to extremely low water levels in the lake, the boat ramp has been closed!

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. Channel catfish are hitting on night crawlers, stink bait and chicken liver. Boat anglers are doing better in deeper water around the rock reefs. Yellow bass fishing has been good. The deeper water north of the island, the artificial weed beds and the deeper rock reefs are producing the best. Drift or vertical jig with minnows and small jigs for the best yellow bass action.

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Channel catfish are hitting on stink bait and night crawlers in the mornings and evenings. Crappies are being caught trolling small jigs in 6 to 10 feet of water.

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

Lake Smith (Kossuth): Channel catfish are hitting on chicken livers in the evenings.

Lake Cornelia (Wright): Channel catfish are good using chicken liver and night crawlers. Fish the catfish in the evenings, on the north shoreline for the best action. Bullheads are hitting on night crawlers fished on the bottom.

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

 

Southwest

Don Williams (Boone): Bluegill fishing has been slow using night crawlers. Channel catfish are being caught using chicken liver.

Hickory Grove (Story): Bluegill fishing has been slow with worms. Channel catfish are being caught using night crawlers and other traditional baits. Crappie fishing has been slow, with most fish caught in late evening.

Big Creek (Polk): Bluegill fishing has been good using jigs or worms/hooks with better areas in deeper water offshore. Channel catfish fishing has been good.

Easter Lake (Polk): Bluegill fishing is slow using night crawlers and bobbers. Channel catfish fishing has been good at night with night crawlers, chicken liver and chubs.

Saylorville Lake (Polk): White bass fishing has been good with jigs and spinners and catfish fishing has been good using a variety of baits.

Below Saylorville Dam (Polk): White bass/wiper fishing has been fair using jigs and/or minnows. Channel catfish fishing has been good.

Rock Creek (Jasper): Crappies are slow on jigs and minnows in the deeper water. Channel catfish fishing is fair with chicken liver.

Red Rock (Marion): White bass fishing has been good and anglers report some success with crappie fishing. 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 tail-water area. Channel catfish fishing has been fair using cut baits and liver.

Roberts Creek (Marion): Crappie fishing has been slow using jigs/minnows in deeper water. Channel catfish fishing has fair using a variety of baits.

Lake Ahquabi (Warren): Bluegill fishing has been fair. Channel catfish fishing has been fair to good.

Hooper Lake (Warren): Bluegill fishing has been fair. Channel catfish fishing has been good.

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 channel catfish are biting on night crawlers or liver. Largemouth bass can be caught from the cover in 5 to 8 feet of water.

Three Mile (Union): Channel catfish fishing is fair using night crawlers or liver. Largemouth bass fishing is good around woody cover in 8 to 10 feet of water.

Three Fires (Taylor): Several 2-pound channel catfish are being caught using night crawlers or liver.

Green Valley (Union): Some channel catfish are biting on night crawlers or liver. Largemouth bass can be caught from the cover in 5 to 8 feet of water. Bluegill can be caught from the flooded cedar trees on night crawlers.

Three Mile (Union): Channel catfish fishing is fair using night crawlers or liver. The largemouth bass fishing is good around the woody cover in 8 to 10 feet of water. Some walleye are being picked up off the sides of the rock mounds on crankbaits. Crappies are suspended in about 10 feet of water over the brush piles.

Three Fires (Taylor): Several 2-pound channel catfish are being caught using night crawlers or liver.

Little River (Decatur): A big channel catfish can be caught occasionally on liver or bluegill sides.

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 using night crawlers and prepared baits in the evenings. Bluegills are slow using night crawlers with bobber and small jigs.

Greenfield (Adair): Bluegills are slow using jigs tipped with night crawlers fishing structure and drift fishing. Fish in the 7 to 8-inch range are common. Channel catfish are fair using liver.

Nodaway (Adair): Channel catfish are fair on liver in shallow areas. Greenfield and Nodaway have low water levels. Fishing from shore is best done off the dam.

Meadow (Adair): Bluegills are slow using night crawlers on 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 fishing is fair using liver.

Littlefield (Audubon): Anglers are catching a few fish by drifting night crawlers, but overall 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): 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 along west shore.

DeSoto Bend (Harrison): Crappie fishing is slow using jigs and minnows around deep structure. Channel catfish fishing is fair in shallow areas using night crawlers or blood bait. Carp are being caught mostly on dough balls.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Crappies are slow along rocky shorelines using jigs. Channel catfish fishing is fair on liver and prepared baits along rocky shorelines. 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. Channel catfishing is slow; a few are being caught on prepared baits.

Farm Ponds: Fishing is fair 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 87 degrees and the river pool stage for Pool 16 is 11.34 feet. Water levels are expected to drop over the next several days.

Fishing has been slow on Pools 16 to 19 of the Mississippi River. Fewer anglers have been fishing due to the recent warm weather, warm water temperature and lower summer water levels. Walleye anglers continue to pick up a few walleyes off the wing dams. On Pool 16 try 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 crawlers, leeches or minnows and crankbaits. Anglers are catching a few channel catfish on Pools 16 to 19 on stink bait and various other baits. Fishing for channel catfish has been best in the evening, night, and early morning. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair to slow in accessible backwaters and off the main river channel on artificial baits and live bait rigs. Fishing has been good for freshwater drum on crawdads.

Lake Darling (Washington): Hot weather last week has taken the water temperatures into the middle to upper 80s. Look for the catfish to be working the rocks during the relatively cool, early morning before the sun gets up.

Lake Geode (Henry): Anglers have been catching some nice catfish along the edges of the water willows in the late evening. Small bluegills and minnows seem to be working the best.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Catfishing in the morning has been good. Fish along the rocky shorelines before the sun gets up.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Largemouth bass are hitting on a variety of artificial presentations. Bluegills have been biting on small jigs tipped with a wax worm fished along the outer edge of the weed line. A few small musky are starting to be caught on the lake. These fish were stocked this spring and are only 12 to 14 inches in length. Remember the statewide length limit for muskies is 40 inches.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Bluegills have been hitting on small jigs tipped with a wax worm or chunk of night crawler being drifted in the deepest parts of the lake. Largemouth bass have been on artificial lures. The mornings and evenings have been the most productive times of the day.

Lake Miami (Monroe): Channel catfish have been biting on chicken liver. Largemouth bass have been hitting on crankbaits. The mornings have been the most productive times for the largemouth bass bite.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Walleyes have been hitting on worm harnesses fished with a night crawler or a leech. Channel catfish have been biting on stink bait and night crawlers. White bass have been hitting on white jigs and also crankbaits.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): Some largemouth and spotted bass can be caught around the shallow cover or deeper structure. Bluegills are also plentiful and are biting on worms around rocks, wood or docks.

Pleasant Creek (Linn): Largemouth bass are being caught around the dam and rock jetties. Plastic worms and live baits (bluegills/crayfish) have been working best. Remember the 18-inch size limit. A few nice channel catfish are being caught on crawlers as well.

Hannen Lake (Benton): Channel catfish are biting on stink bait. Deeper brush seems to be the best areas, with stink bait producing best.

Otter Creek (Tama): Typical summer fishing means channel catfish can be caught here in the evening hours on a variety of smelly baits.

Rodgers Lake (Benton): Fishing has been slow but channel catfish are being caught all around the lake. Try night crawlers, liver or stink bait for best results.

Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): Channel catfishing is somewhat productive on stink baits. Some bluegills are also being picked up in deeper water on small worms.

Cedar River (Linn): The river is producing channel catfish on shad, chubs and crawfish and white bass are also being taken on small twisters.

Skunk River (Washington): The river level has fallen down from last week. Boating will be difficult again. The catfishing has been fairly good in the early morning hours on cut bait and stink bait.

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