Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Water levels on the Mississippi River have stabilized at low levels once again. River stages are 4.1 feet at Guttenberg and 3.56 feet at Bellevue. Water temperature is 60 degrees at Guttenberg and 62 degrees at Bellevue and clarity is very good. Fishing has been picking up as the water temperature has cooled and the fish are putting on the feed bag heading into fall. A few walleyes and saugers are being reported by anglers fishing minnows near the tips of the wing dams in Pools 9 to 15. Walleyes commonly use the outside tip of the wing dam during low flow conditions. You can also use three-way rigs or cast crankbaits along the wing dams for walleye. In Pools 12 to 15, sauger fishing is best in the tailwater areas and anglers have found three-way rigs with spinners or small floating crankbaits are working well for hungry saugers. Bluegill fishing continues to be very good in Pools 9 to 15 floating a piece of night crawler. You may have to sort out some smaller bluegills, but areas such as Bussey Lake (Pool 10) continue to produce nice bluegills. Other good locations for hungry bluegills include the backwater areas and side channels or sloughs with structure. A few nice crappies are being caught in Pools 9 to 11 using small minnows and fishing next to brush piles. Crappie fishing is better in Pools 12 to 15 for anglers using minnows or small jigs fished around snags in the backwaters, side channels and sloughs. Crappies are suspended in 4 to 6 feet of water so adjust your bait until you can locate actively feeding fish. Yellow perch fishing is fair next to brush piles for anglers in Pools 9 to 11. Small minnows are the best bet for catching yellow perch. Smallmouth and white bass are biting on jigs and spinners fished in the tailwaters of Lynxville and Guttenberg (Pools 10 and 11). Look for schools of white bass working the shorelines. They can often be spotted along sandy stretches of the river. Largemouth bass fishing is good in Minnesota Slough (Pool 9), Harpers Slough (Pool 10) and Cassville Slough (Pool 11). Anglers are using spinner baits fished along fallen trees.

Cedar River (Mitchell, Floyd, Bremer and Black Hawk): Smallmouth bass fishing is good on jigs, spinner baits and crankbaits. Walleye fishing is good on night crawlers or jigs tipped with a night crawler fished on the bottom below the dams or in areas with rock or rip rapped shorelines.

Shell Rock River (Butler and Bremer): Smallmouth bass are hitting crankbaits and jigs. Walleye are being caught fishing night crawlers or jigs tipped with night crawlers. Concentrate on areas with rock or riprapped shorelines.

Maquoketa River (Delaware): Smallmouth bass fishing is good using crawdad-colored crankbaits, jigs or live baits, such as night crawlers or minnows, fished along the rocky areas. The catch-and-release area below the Delhi Dam has the best habitat and the highest density of smallmouth bass. As the water temperature drops, live baits tend to work better for bass. A few walleyes are being caught fishing night crawlers along the bottom.

Turkey River (Fayette and Clayton): Smallmouth bass and walleyes are moving to their over-wintering areas and fishing is good using night crawlers or dark colored jigs.

Upper Iowa River (Howard, Winneshiek and Allamakee): Smallmouth bass fishing is good on dark colored jigs or live baits. Walleye fishing is good on dark colored jigs. Trout fishing is excellent near Volney.

Big Woods and Brinker lakes (Black Hawk): Fishing is good for 8 to 9-inch crappies casting jigs tipped with a minnow. Crappies are being caught in 8 to 10 feet of water; however, some are also found 20 feet down.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Fishing has slowed for all species.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Bluegills are biting on jigs near the shoreline. Anglers are also catching nice-sized largemouth bass.

Volga Lake (Fayette): Nice-sized largemouth bass are being caught along the dam on dark-colored jigs. Take along extra worms if you fish for bluegills and crappies as these fish are hungry and attacking baits fished along the shorelines.

Trout stream conditions are good to excellent and fishing for trout during this time of year is excellent. Fly fishers are using imitation grasshoppers, scuds and nymphs. Other anglers are most successful using spinners, jigs and live baits. Trout stockings in October are not announced; however, most streams are still being stocked at the same rate as they were in September. Fishing pressure is lower during October so many streams will maintain good, fishable populations of trout throughout the winter. You can't beat trout fishing in northeast Iowa in the fall. The ospreys and eagles are traveling through the state heading for their winter homes. Many eagles will over winter in northeast Iowa and can be seen throughout the winter.

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 fair in the evenings casting jigs from shore around Buffalo Run, footbridge and Templar Park. Perch fishing has been fair around the weed lines in Anglers Bay, Marble Beach and in front of the pump house using minnows. Anglers are catching a few bullheads at the North Grade.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Some walleyes are being caught in the evening throwing shallow running crankbaits off docks and near rock points. Yellow perch fishing is good in Smith's Bay.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is good casting twisters and shallow running crankbaits on the south shoreline.

Little Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Anglers are catching a few crappies on jigs at the south end of the lake. Yellow perch are being caught around the lake.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Crappies are slow off the west stone pier on small lead heads under a bobber.

North Twin Lake (Calhoun): A few 10 to 12-inch yellow bass are being caught from shore on hook tipped with a small piece of night crawler laying on the bottom.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): White bass have been hitting on roostertail spinners and live minnows. A few legal walleyes have also been taken while fishing from shore.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Yellow bass fishing has been fair to good on days with nice weather. The deeper water north of the Island, the artificial weed beds and the deeper rock reefs are producing the best. Yellow bass are being caught anchored and vertical jigging with minnows or night crawlers. Some wader anglers are catching yellow bass towards evening on the north shore.

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Crappies are being caught from the jetties and docks on the south side of the lake. Small jigs and minnows are being used to catch 8 ½ to 10-inch crappies.

Indian Lake, in Eldred Sherwood Park (Hancock): Bluegills are hitting on a small piece of night crawler. Fish are being caught from the bank, near shore.

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 has been slow to fair with jigs and minnows.

Hickory Grove (Story): Bluegill fishing has been fair with worms. Channel catfish fishing is fair using night crawlers and other traditional baits.

Big Creek (Polk): Bluegill fishing has been fair using jigs or worms/hooks. Channel catfish fishing has been fair to good. Anglers report catching some nicer crappie with jigs.

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

Saylorville Lake (Polk): Crappie fishing has been fair to good with jigs and minnows. Catfish fishing has been slow using a variety of baits. Walleye fishing has been fair to good.

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

Rock Creek (Jasper): Crappie fishing has been fair to good on jigs and minnows. Channel catfish fishing is fair to good with chicken liver. Largemouth bass fishing has been slow to fair casting plugs.

Red Rock (Marion): White bass fishing has been fair with the best fishing in the marina and Whitebreast areas. Channel catfish fishing has been fair using cut baits and liver.

Below Lake Red Rock (Marion): White bass fishing has been fair 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 good to excellent using a variety of baits.

Lake Ahquabi (Warren): Bluegill fishing has been fair using worms and night crawlers. Channel catfish fishing has been good to excellent with night crawlers and other baits. Anglers also report catching some largemouth bass and crappies with jigs.

Hooper Lake (Warren): Bluegill fishing has been slow with worms. Channel catfish fishing has been fair to good with night crawlers and chicken liver, and crappie 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): Channel catfish are biting on night crawlers, liver and prepared bait.

Three Mile (Union): Channel catfish fishing is fair at the upper end using night crawlers or liver. The crappies are suspended in about 10 feet over the brush piles. Some walleye are starting to bite near the dam and around the steep points.

Walnut Creek Marsh (Ringgold): Bluegill, largemouth bass and crappie can be caught from the weed edges and lotus beds.

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Bluegill and crappie are along the weed edges and can be caught using small jigs or night crawlers.

Little River (Decatur): Crappies can be caught drift fishing open water. Some walleyes can be caught from the dam and big points by trolling crankbaits.

Three Fires (Taylor): Anglers are catching 8 to 9-inch crappies by drift fishing open water.

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 has slowed for 2 to 3-pound channel catfish using night crawlers, liver or prepared baits in the evenings. Bluegills are fair using night crawlers with bobber and small jigs.

Greenfield (Adair): Bluegills are fair 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 and prepared bait.

Nodaway (Adair): Channel catfish are fair on liver and prepared baits in shallow areas. A few bluegills are being caught using night crawlers and a bobber.

Meadow (Adair): Bluegills are fair using night crawlers around sunken trees and along dam. Crappies are fair around sunken trees using minnows. Channel catfish is fair using prepared baits around structure.

Morman Trail (Adair): Fishing is fair for bluegills off the rocked shoreline along south side of lake. Channel catfish fishing is fair using liver and prepared baits.

Littlefield (Audubon): Anglers are catching a few bluegills 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 has improved using twister tails and shad colored crankbaits along east shoreline and around swimming beach. Walleye fishing is slow trolling crankbaits along west shore. Channel catfish has slowed. Some are being caught at night with shrimp or cut bait.

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

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Crappies are fair drift fishing using jigs tipped with a minnow. Channel catfish fishing is slow 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): Fishing for channel catfish is fair using liver in west arm of lake. A few bluegills are being caught using night crawlers under a bobber.

Farm Ponds: Fishing is good for bluegills using jigs tipped with night crawlers. Largemouth bass fishing is also good. Channel catfishing is also fair using night crawlers in the evenings.

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 64 degrees and the river pool stage for Pool 16 is 11.80 feet. Water levels are expected to remain stable over the next several days.

Fishing has been fair on Pools 16 to 19 of the Mississippi River. Walleye and sauger fishing has been fair off the wing dams. On Pool 16, try near the Riverfront area at Davenport, on the wing dams around Credit Island, the I-280 Bridge, and the mouth of the Rock River. Try fishing walleye and sauger with jigs tipped with night crawlers, leeches or minnows, or trolling crankbaits. Channel catfishing has been fair on Pools 16 to 19 on night crawlers, shrimp or minnows. Crappie and bluegill fishing continues to be fair off the wing dams, below the Arsenal Dam in upper Pool 16 and in the backwaters: try Sunset Marina and Andalusia, in Pool 16, Big Timber Area, in Pool 17, Huron Island Pool 18, and Lake Odessa Pools 17/18. Fishing has been good for freshwater drum on night crawlers. Smallmouth bass fishing has been fair in Pool 16 in the Sylvan Slough area.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): Fishing is good for bluegills and crappies as the fish respond to the falling water temperature and start to fatten up for the fall. Water levels are rising as the lake is being brought up to the fall water level.

Lake Darling (Washington): Look for catfish to be working the riprap looking for crawdads and bluegills. Largemouth bass will be in those same areas.

Lake Geode (Henry): Anglers have been catching bluegills and crappies in 10 to 15 feet of water. Cold weather forecasted should bring these fish in shallow during the next warm up.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Bluegill fishing is excellent and good numbers of 9 to 12-inch fish are being caught. They are in 20 feet of water but the cold front forecasted to move through later this week should change that.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Crappies have been hitting on small jigs tipped with a minnow. Try areas with standing timber or areas with sunken cedar trees. Walleyes have been hitting on jigs tipped with a minnow. The most productive areas are around riprapped shorelines or other rocky areas. Bluegills have been biting on small jigs in some of the areas holding crappies.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Crappies have been hitting on small jigs tipped with a minnow being drifted in the middle section of the lake. Some bluegills are being caught using the same technique. Largemouth bass have been hitting on a number of artificial presentations.

Lake Keomah (Mahaska): Bluegills have been biting on small jigs tipped with a wax worm fished around the shoreline and underwater brush piles. Largemouth bass have been hitting on spinner baits and other artificial lures in the same areas.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): White bass have been biting on twister tails and crankbaits. Windblown points in the coves have been the most productive areas. Crappies have been hitting on small jigs when fished around structure. Some crappies have also been hitting on crankbaits being drifted or trolled around areas with cedar trees or other underwater structure. Walleyes have been hitting on crankbaits being drifted or trolled around underwater rock reefs or islands.

Lake Macbride (Johnson):Some largemouth bass are being caught on a more regular basis now as the fish are beginning to move shallower. Crappies are starting to show up in the catch now. There are lots of 6 to 7-inch fish biting with some bigger ones mixed in. Fish seem to be suspended, some in open water, but fish in the brush piles are easier to located.

Coralville Reservoir (Johnson): White bass are being taken on a regular basis on most flashy baits. Many of the rocky shorelines are producing well. Some nice crappies are also being picked up on jigs. Brush piles seem to be the best areas but some fish are suspended on the rock bluffs.

Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): Bluegills and crappies are being taken from the jetties. Try suspending a jig or worm under a bobber for best results. Anglers should try deeper water and around structure for larger fish.

Hannen Lake (Benton): Anglers are catching bluegills, some up to 11 inches long, in deeper water around the sunken brush piles.

Union Grove (Tama): Fish around any of the brush piles for crappies and a few bluegills. Some brush piles are accessible from shore, but the best ones are reached by boat.

Iowa River (Louisa): Catfishing has been good as the fish are starting their fall feeding frenzy. Night crawlers and minnows are working the best.

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