Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: The water temperature at Guttenberg is 60 degrees and clarity is improving. River stages on Monday were 8.6 feet in Guttenberg, 10.6 feet in Dubuque and 9.3 feet in Bellevue. The river is expected to level out or fall slowly over the next week depending on rainfall. All the gates are back in at Lock and Dam 10 and fishing is picking up for many different species.

Panfish are beginning to hit in Pools 9 to 15 as the water temperature rises in the backwaters and sloughs. Fish near structure using a worm or small minnow. Water temperature is still a little cool, so slow presentations work best. Bluegill fishing is very good in Bussey Lake (Pool 10) using small jigs or a small piece of worm floated below a bobber. Bluegill and yellow perch fishing is good at the DNR boat ramp in Guttenberg (Pool 11). Anglers are also catching a few crappies below Lock and Dam 9.

Walleye and sauger fishing has been slow in Pools 9 to 15. Walleye have finished spawning and are starting to move back towards the wing dams. Use three-way rigs or jigs tipped with either a twister tail or a minnow. Fishing for freshwater drum is good using night crawlers fished on the bottom in Pools 9 to 15. Anglers are finding drum in the tailwaters below the locks and dams. A few flathead catfish are also being caught in the tailwaters below the dams in Pools 12 to 15.

Smallmouth bass fishing is good in Pools 9 to 11. Try casting small, dark jigs or in-line spinners along the rocks in areas with current.

White bass have started to move into the tailwaters of Pool 13 in Bellevue. Use white jigs or silver or white lures that imitate bait fish for best results.

Cedar River (Bremer and Black Hawk): Fishing is good for walleye and smallmouth bass using small jig and twister tail combinations and crankbaits. Channel catfish are hitting cut baits or dead night crawlers fished below the dams. The area below the Waverly Dam has been hot for catfishing.

Maquoketa River (Delaware): Channel catfish are hitting on worms or dead cut baits fished on the bottom. Bass fishing is good using crankbaits and jigs fished around woody debris or rocky shorelines. Fish the current breaks or slower pools for walleyes using crankbaits or jigs with a twister tail.

Shell Rock River (Butler and Bremer): Walleye fishing is good on crankbaits or jigs.

Turkey River (Clayton): Smallmouth bass fishing is fair on an assortment of colored jigs. White sucker fishing is good on night crawlers.

Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek and Allamakee): Water temperature is 55 degrees. White sucker fishing is good using night crawlers. Walleye and smallmouth bass fishing is good using jigs in a variety of colors.

Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan): Walleye fishing is good using jigs or crankbaits.

Yellow River (Allamakee): Trout fishing is excellent. Due to limited public access, float the Yellow River by putting a canoe in at Volney and floating to the Sixteen Bridge, Ioan Bridge or Hwy. 76 access.

Alice Wyth and South Prairie lakes (Black Hawk): Crappie fishing is good using small jigs tipped with a minnow or wax worm along the shorelines or around structure. Anglers have also been doing well using fly rods with small flies.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Channel catfish are good using dead minnows or cut baits fished on the bottom. Bluegills are hitting on jigs tipped with a minnow or wax worm. Crappie fishing is fair to good on small jigs fished around structure.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Fishing is fair to good for crappies using small minnows. A few nice-sized largemouth bass have been caught on artificial lures.

Volga Lake (Fayette): A few bluegills are being caught on a night crawler suspended under a bobber. Crappie fishing is fair using small jigs.

Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): A few smallmouth bass are being caught on bucktails and minnows over deeper rock piles. Anglers are beginning to catch crappies and bluegills in the Templar Lagoon.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Fishing is excellent for bluegills and crappies in the Emerson and Miller's bays canals. Fishing is good for largemouth bass using jerk baits and plastic worms in the canals. A few perch, bluegills and crappies are being caught underneath the railroad trestle.

Minnewashta (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is good along the south side in the evening. A few white bass are being caught throwing jigs.

Upper Gar (Dickinson): Anglers are catching walleyes by the Hinshaw Bridge in the evening.

Pleasant Lake (Dickinson): Anglers are catching yellow perch along the south shore using a worm under a bobber. Sorting is required for larger fish.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is slow. A few fish are being caught from shore in the evening.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Channel catfish fishing is good using shad entrails or cut bait. Fish into the wind. Bullhead fishing is fair to good. The best place is north of the inlet bridge.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Walleye fishing is good along the shoreline although most are fairly small. Twisters, fire tiger, white and chartreuse are best colors. Remember the new 17-to 22-inch protected slot limit on Storm Lake. Channel catfish are good on shad entrails and live minnows. Bullhead fishing is good at the inlet using night crawlers.

Brushy Creek (Webster): The lake water remains cold. The bays have a few areas with 50-degree surface water. Very few fish have been caught. The courtesy docks are in.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing is fair to good. Wading or boat fishing Dodge's Point, the Island and the east shoreline areas are the best bet for walleye. Use a slow presentation with a jig and minnow late in the afternoon through sunset for the best success. Yellow bass fishing is good. Fish the north shore, rock reefs and east shoreline for the best action. Small jigs and twisters are working the best for the yellow bass.

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Crappie fishing is fair from the jetties and causeway. Small jigs and minnows work the best. Fish size has been running 7-to 9 inches.

Rice Lake (Winnebago and Worth): Bullhead fishing is good using night crawlers.

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

 

Southwest

Icaria (Adams): Anglers are catching 1.5 to 5 pound size catfish on cut bait at east end of the lake. Some walleyes are being caught on jigs on the south side from marina to dam. The lake is full and running over.

Little River (Decatur): Some channel catfish are biting at the upper end. Anglers have been catching some walleye off of the dam and the points.

Wilson (Taylor): Some crappies are biting at the dam.

Windmill (Taylor): Some crappies are biting on small jigs.

Green Valley (Union): Fishing is good for channel catfish on night crawlers, stink bait and liver. Fish from the silt dikes in the shallow ends.

Three Mile (Union): Channel catfish fishing is good at the north end. Walleyes have slowed but may be found around dam and deep points and bite on minnows. Several muskies have been picked up around dam and north end. Several wipers have been caught using minnows in deep water near points. Crappies are just starting to bite.

Twelve Mile (Union): Walleyes up to 17 inches are being caught, but most are around 12 inches. Anglers are picking up largemouth bass up to 17 inches. The lake is five feet low but the main boat ramp is easily usable.

Badger Creek (Madison): Some channel catfish can be caught in the warm shallow water. Bluegill and crappie are starting to bite near the rocks along the jetties.

Contact: Gary Sobotka (641) 464-3108 for information on the above area lakes.

Ahquabi (Warren): Sub-legal sized bass are biting and nice bluegills are being caught at the fishing pier.

Big Creek and Lost Lake (Polk): Anglers are catching small crappies and some walleyes from the shore at night.

Robert's Creek (Marion): Crappies are biting around the brush piles and off the old beach with small jigs tipped with minnows.

Red Rock (Marion): Some catfish have been taken off of the old roadbed. White bass are also being caught below the dam.

Saylorville dam (Polk): Crappie, white bass and wipers are being caught at the washout.

Des Moines River: The gravel bars and low-head dams are producing walleyes.

Contact: Ben Dodd (515) 432-2823, Ext. 108, for information on the above area lakes

Orient (Adair): Fishing is good for channel catfish with average size 20 inches. Bullheads are being picked up in the silt ponds. Crappie fishing is fair.

Greenfield (Adair): Bluegill fishing is slow using worms under a bobber.

DeSoto Bend (Harrison): The lake is open to fishing. Anglers can expect to catch crappies on small minnows fished under a bobber.

Manawa (Pottawattamie): Fishing for crappies is good in the canals using minnows with bobber or small jigs. A few wipers are also being caught.

Big Lake Park and Sauganash Pond at Western Historic Trails (Pottawattamie): Anglers continue to catch a few trout in both lakes.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Fair for 7-to 8-inch crappies are being found as far out as you can cast. By the weekend those fish may be close to shore.

Farm Ponds are beginning to warm up now and anglers should be catching fish. Be sure to ask permission from the landowner first.

Contact: Bryan Hayes (712) 769-2587 for information on the above area lakes.

For more information on fishing in southwest Iowa, call the regional office in Lewis at 712-769-2587.

 

Southeast

Mississippi River Pools 16 to 18: Water temperature at Muscatine is 59 degrees. The water level at Muscatine is 10.78 feet and the flood stage at this location is 16 feet. All the pools are dropping and are currently below flood stage. White bass fishing has picked up below the dams. Fishing has been good at the steel dam on the Rock River and near the Casino boat on the Davenport side. A few white bass are being caught in Sylvan Slough. Walleye fishing has been slow but anglers are picking up a few walleyes now. Crappies have started to bite in the backwaters and this should improve with rising water temperature.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): Anglers are starting to pick up some nice crappies in the Horseshoe Bend area in shallow water around the trees. Catfishing is good along the sandy shorelines as the water warms during the day.

Lake Darling (Washington): Water temperature is in the middle 50s. The wind has made the water a little muddy, but overall, it is good for Lake Darling this time of year. Anglers are picking up catfish and bluegills along the rocky shorelines. Some of the smaller crappies are starting to spend some time in the shallow bays.

Lake Geode (Henry): Bluegills are biting in the shallow water of the upper end and in the bays. Catfish are working the riprap along the dam looking for crayfish and small bluegills.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Fishing has been fair for bluegills and bass. Water temperature is in the middle 50s.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Crappies have been hitting on small jigs fished around underwater habitat in 10 to 15 feet of water. Try tipping the jig with a wax worm or a minnow. Channel catfish have been biting on shad guts and cut bait. A few walleyes are starting to be caught by trolling night crawlers. The water temperature is 49 degrees.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Walleyes have been hitting on crankbaits and jigs fished along the dam and other rocky shoreline areas. Largemouth bass have been hitting on a variety of artificial presentations, especially spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Crappies have been hitting on small jigs fished in 10 to 15 feet of water.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Largemouth bass have been hitting around areas with structure such as fallen trees or pallet structures. For crappies, try fishing around underwater habitat in 10 feet of water using small jigs tipped with a wax worm or minnow.

Skunk River (Washington and Henry): The river water level is forecasted to be fairly stable this week. Catfishing is picking up. Concentrate at the mouths of the feeder creeks. Minnows and night crawlers are the best choices for baits.

Iowa River (Washington and Louisa): The river has dropped about one foot over the last week. Anglers are catching catfish using shad guts and minnows. Work the lower ends of the sandbars where it drops into deeper water.

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