Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 - 15: Water levels on the Mississippi River are good and predicted to drop throughout the week. Water temperature on Monday was 72 degrees. River stage was 6.5 feet at Guttenberg, 8.8 feet at Dubuque and 6.7 feet at Bellevue. Fishing is good on the Mississippi River right now with walleye, white bass, catfish, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass all being caught in good numbers. Bluegills are still biting really well in the pockets below the dams in Pools 9 to 13 and in the slack waters next to structure. With the water warming again, bluegill fishing should pick up in Minnesota Slough (Pool 9). Many nice bluegills are already being caught by shore anglers fishing next to the boat ramp in downtown Bellevue (Pool 13). When fishing the backwater areas, concentrate around snags and areas with rock rip-rapped shorelines or other habitat. Fishing for freshwater drum is good to excellent in Pools 9 to 15 using a simple sliding sinker and a night crawler. Drum are found mostly in current situations and you do not need a boat to catch them. Tail-water areas and wing dams are good areas to fish for drum. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing is very good in Pools 9 to 15 on a variety of lures including small spinners, crankbaits, jigs and soft plastics. The key to bass fishing is to find habitat and structure. Rip rapped banks, snags and logs along the shoreline or a combination of these structures is even better. Areas with good to excellent bass angling opportunities include below the dam and at the spillway in Pool 10, the rock bank in Guttenberg (Pool 11) and the riprap below the dams in Dubuque (Pool 12) and Bellevue (Pool 13). White bass are starting to school up right now and action can be very fast. 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 with some flash such as a spoon or spinner will work. 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 closed to Lock and Dams 9 to 11 are probably best. Walleye and sauger fishing is fair to good in Pools 9 to 15 along the wing dams. The numerous cold fronts moving through the area last week slowed the bite; however, fishing should only get better as the weather pattern stabilizes. Leeches on a three-way rig have been working better than night crawlers lately. Choose a three-way rig with either a spinner blade or floater for best success. Walleye are starting to hit crankbaits trolled along the front of the dams or try casting on top and fish down the face of the dam. The catch rate for walleye has been picking up in Minnesota Slough (Pool 9) and at the bottom end of the sloughs in Pool 10. In Pools 11 to 15, look for walleyes along the wing dams. Fishing is good for channel catfish in Pools 9 to 15 as they continue to move onto the rocks to spawn. Males are in the rocks and riprapped areas. Fish a piece of cut bait or bounce a worm below a bobber along the rocks. Stink bait is also starting to work well as the water temperature rises. Northern pike are being caught steadily up by the dam and at the spillway in Pool 10.

Cedar River (Mitchell, Floyd and Chickasaw): Smallmouth bass are biting on purple, orange or yellow twister tails and on smaller tube jigs. Fish below the dams for bass. Channel catfish are hitting chubs.

Cedar River (Bremer and Black Hawk): The river is high, but falling. Channel catfish are biting near shoreline structure and below the dams.

Maquoketa River (Delaware): Water levels are falling. Channel catfish action is good along shoreline structure and outside bends. Also try fishing riprapped areas near current for catfish by floating a night crawler or dead minnow. Walleye fishing is fair on crankbaits or jigs tipped with a night crawler. Smallmouth bass fishing is also fair to good using crankbaits or jigs.

Turkey River (Clayton): Smallmouth bass are biting on night crawlers and twister tails. Fishing pressure has been low, but the river conditions are improving.

Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek and Allamakee): The river is a little cloudy, but still fishable. Fishing for smallmouth bass is good using light-colored twister tails and floating crankbaits. A few walleye are being caught on slow-moving jigs fished near the bottom. Channel catfish are being caught on crawlers fished in the deeper pools in the backwater eddies.

Black Hawk County Lakes and Ponds: Largemouth bass and bluegill fishing are good near shore using night crawlers fished under a bobber or small jigs. Some crappies are still being caught, but fish are starting to move into deeper water.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Channel catfish are good using night crawlers fished next to woody structure along the shore. Bluegill and crappie fishing is fair using small jigs, night crawlers and minnows fished around boat docks and structure.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Fishing is good for bluegills on wax worms or a piece of night crawler suspended under a bobber. Largemouth bass fishing is good on a wide variety of artificial lures. Anglers are catching 9 to 14-inch crappies in deeper water using silver-flaked tube jigs.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Fishing is good for bluegills along the shoreline with small to average-size bluegills being caught. This is a great location and time of year to take young children fishing. Larger bluegills can be caught on angle worms hooked through the head and fished in 5 to 8 feet of water. Crappies between 5 and 9 inches are being caught near the brush piles. Nice-sized largemouth bass are moving into the shallows along the east and north sides of the lake-up to 7 pounds! Bass are also biting on artificial frogs and Texas-rigs (plastic worms).

Volga Lake (Fayette): Largemouth bass fishing is picking up. Use slower-moving artificial lures worked along structure-especially in the morning hours. Bluegill and crappie fishing is fair with many small fish being caught.

Trout fishing and stream conditions are good to excellent. Many trout stream stockings are announced and the dates of proposed stockings can be found on the Iowa DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov or by calling the trout stocking 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 good for 14 to 17-inch fish drifting with leeches and night crawlers in 18 to 20 feet of water. Fishing has also been good on the west side along the weed lines and off of Big Stoney Point using leeches. Anglers are catching a few fish from the Grade in the evening with slip bobbers and leeches. Largemouth bass fishing is good at Buffalo Run, Little Spirit Outlet and the Grade using leeches. Bluegill fishing is good in Trickles Slough and Hales Slough using small garden worms. A few fish are being caught at Buffalo Run. A few yellow perch are being caught while fishing for walleye.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is good in Emerson Bay, and the North Bay. Look for areas with vegetation and rocks in 10 to 20 feet of water. Leeches and night crawlers have both been effective. Northern pike fishing is excellent trolling or casting crankbaits in Millers and Emerson Bay. Bluegill fishing is good around main lake docks and deeper rock piles using small leeches and garden worms. Largemouth bass fishing is excellent around main lake docks.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Bullhead fishing is good on the north end using night crawlers. Channel catfish fishing is good using minnows and cut bait on the north end.

Center Lake (Dickinson): Bullhead fishing is excellent using night crawlers.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is fair for smaller fish using night crawlers. White bass fishing is good trolling crankbaits.

Pleasant Lake (Dickinson): Fishing is excellent for 6-8 inch yellow perch. Bullhead fishing is excellent for smaller fish.

West Fork of the Des Moines River (Emmet): Channel catfish fishing is good around submerged brush using cut bait and night crawlers.

Tuttle Lake (Emmet): Bullhead fishing is excellent on the north end. Crappie fishing is good on the north end.

Iowa Lake (Emmet): Bullhead fishing is good.

Silver Lake (Palo Alto): Walleye fishing is excellent trolling crankbaits for 14 to 15-inch fish.

Five Island Lake (Palo Alto): Walleye fishing is good at night.

Little Sioux River (Clay): Channel catfish fishing is good using cut bait.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Walleye fishing very good trolling shad raps. White bass are good to excellent casting fire tiger twisters or trolling crankbaits. Catfish are excellent on a variety of baits, especially around the rocky shorelines.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Fishing is good to excellent for catfish on a variety of baits.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Many nice bluegills have been hitting on a small hook with a piece of worm. A few nice walleyes have been picked up in the early evening hours. Bass have been caught on an assortment of baits along the shoreline.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing is excellent. Trolling crankbaits or drifting live bait in deeper water are the best techniques. Remember Clear Lake has a 14-inch minimum length and a daily bag limit of 3 fish for walleye. Yellow bass fishing is fair. Some yellows are being caught in deeper water with live bait. A few white bass are being caught using live bait and jigs.

Beeds Lake (Franklin): Crappie fishing is good using small jigs and minnows. Fish size has been running 8 to 11 inches. Largemouth bass fishing is good in the early morning casting the shoreline with spinner baits.

Upper and Lower Pine Lake (Hardin): Crappie fishing is good using minnows and small jigs. Drifting or trolling for suspended fish in the Upper Lake is the best technique. Catfish are hitting in the creek between the upper and lower lake.

Smith Lake (Kossuth): Largemouth bass fishing is good. Spinner baits and jerk baits are working the best. Remember Smith Lake has an 18-inch minimum length on bass. Channel catfish angling is good using chicken liver, stink baits and dead chubs.

Lake Catherine (Winnebago): Bluegill fishing has been good using small jigs or night crawlers.

Rice Lake (Winnebago and Worth): Bullhead fishing is excellent using night crawlers. Fish the windy shoreline for the best action.

Lake Cornelia (Wright): Bullhead fishing is excellent using crawlers. Bullhead size has been running 9-11 inches. Largemouth bass are hitting live bait and spinner baits near shore.

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

Southwest

Farm Ponds: Bluegill, largemouth bass, and channel catfish are biting well.

Nine Eagles (Decatur): Some nice bluegills can be caught from the outside edges of the vegetation line. Several mid-sized largemouth bass have been caught near shore. Channel catfish are starting to bite near rocks.

Icaria (Adams): Several mid-sized walleyes are being caught on jigs or jigs and minnows. Largemouth bass up to 16 inches can be caught near shoreline structure. Fishing is good 7 to 9 inches crappies long being caught near from the fish mounds. Some 7 to 8-inch bluegills can be caught from the fish mounds on night crawlers. The lake is full and running over. Water clarity is approximately 3 ½ feet at the dam.

Little River (Decatur): Some walleyes are biting on night crawlers and leeches. Channel catfish are starting to bite in the rocks. Water clarity is approximately 4 feet at the dam.

Wilson (Taylor): Largemouth bass fishing is good using spinners around structure. Bluegill fishing is good and they are biting on jigs or night crawlers. Some channel catfish are biting on stink baits or liver.

Windmill (Taylor): Several bluegills are being caught using jigs or night crawlers while fishing near the dam. Some channel catfish have been caught on liver. Largemouth bass are being caught using spinners.

Green Valley (Union): Fishing is good for channel catfish on night crawlers, stink bait or liver off silt dikes or in shallow bays. Several nice-sized largemouth bass have been caught near shore. Water clarity is approximately 4 feet at the dam.

Three Mile (Union): Some nice bluegills are being caught on night crawlers or wax worms. Walleyes are starting to bite on night crawlers and leeches over the mounds. Some muskies have been caught near cover. Largemouth bass fishing is excellent near shoreline cover. Water clarity is about 4 feet at the dam.

Twelve Mile (Union): Walleyes are being caught, but most are 12 inches. Anglers are picking up largemouth bass up to 17 inches, with most between 11 and 13 inches. The lake is full and running over. Water clarity is about 5 feet at the dam.

Badger Creek (Madison): Some channel catfish can be caught from the riprap areas.

Criss Cove (Madison): Some bluegills are biting on the coves. Some channel catfish can be caught from the riprap.

Three Fires (Taylor): Crappie fishing is fair. Largemouth bass are easily caught and most are between 10 and 15 inches. Bluegill fishing is excellent with several 7 to 8-inch fish being caught. Some nice channel catfish can be caught on liver or stink baits. The lake is full and easily usable. The water has about 2 1/2 feet of clarity.

Grade Lake (Clarke): Anglers are catching some nice bluegill near shore and in the coves.

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Some crappies are biting near shore at dusk and dawn. Several bluegills are being caught on night crawlers. Largemouth bass are biting well near shoreline cover. The channel catfish are biting on stink baits.

Walnut Creek Marsh (Ringgold): Bluegills are biting well near the south shore or the lotus bed edge.

West Osceola (Clarke): Largemouth bass fishing is good near shore and around the trees.

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

Big Creek (Polk): Crappie fishing is still fair to good on small jigs. Lots of small walleyes are being caught in the evenings into the night on minnows and night crawlers. A few legal fish are being caught. Channel catfish are being caught by the dam on leeches and night crawlers on the bottom.

Don Williams (Boone): Walleyes have been biting well on leeches. Crappie fishing is still good on minnows and small jigs. Largemouth bass have been hitting top-water baits and crankbaits in the morning and evening.

Easter Lake (Polk): Overall fishing has been slow lately. Bluegills have been biting on small jigs and night crawlers in the shallows. Catfishing has been fair on stink baits and chicken liver. A few crappie and bass have been caught.

Hickory Grove (Story): The crappie and bluegill bite is fair right now. Small jigs or jigs tipped with bait seem to trigger the best bite. Bluegills are shallow and the crappies have been suspended over structure. Try drifting with small jigs to locate crappies. Catfishing has been good in the evenings on night crawlers.

Saylorville Lake (Polk): No recent reports.

Rock Creek (Jasper): Crappie fishing is decent on jig and minnow combinations under a bobber. A few walleyes have been caught on various baits. Catfishing is good on chicken liver, stink baits and leeches on the bottom.

Red Rock (Marion): Not much activity. White bass are being caught below the dam.

Roberts Creek (Marion): Crappie fishing is fair on jig/minnow combinations. Catfish are fair on night crawlers.

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

Orient (Adair): Channel catfish are fair during the day on prepared baits with average size 20 inches. Bluegills are fair and can be caught on small jigs and tipped with night crawlers. Largemouth bass is fair using a slow retrieve and plastic worms.

Nodaway (Adair): Bluegill fishing is fair using small jigs tipped with night crawlers. Crappies are slow, but a few are being caught around brush piles with minnows. Channel catfish is good using liver.

Greenfield (Adair): Bluegill fishing is slow with a few still being caught close to shore on jigs. Largemouth bass are being caught using plastic baits and spinner baits. Channel catfish fishing has been slow using liver.

Mormon Trail (Adair): Bluegill fishing is fair on south side of lake in pea gravel. Channel catfish is fair using liver around jetties and in the shallow bays.

Littlefield (Audubon): Crappie fishing has slowed, but a few are being caught drifting a jig and minnow. Bluegills are fair casting a small jig tipped with night crawlers. Channel catfish has been fair in shallow bays and corners of the dam using stink bait.

Anita (Cass): Anglers are catching 7 to 8-inch bluegill using jigs from shore and around the jetties. Channel catfish, 2 to 6 pound size, are being caught on night crawlers and blood bait. Largemouth bass fishing has been fair for fish up to 18 inches. Crankbaits and jigs have been used around brush piles and rock piles.

DeSoto Bend (Harrison): A few walleyes have been caught drifting night crawlers around sunken trees. Crappie fishing is slow. Channel catfish is good on outside bend close to shore in the rocks. Dip baits with a red worm have been producing 2 to 4-pound fish.

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

Arrowhead (Pottawattamie): Bluegill fishing is good using jigs with night crawlers. Fish are 7 to 8 inches. Channel catfish are good using liver and prepared bait close to shore around jetties.

Prairie Rose (Shelby): Fishing is fair away from shore for 7 to 8-inch crappies. Channel catfish is fair fishing shallow bays with dead minnows and night crawlers. Bluegills are spawning close to shore and fishing is good. Small jigs tipped with night crawlers work well. A few largemouth bass are being caught using a slow presentation.

Willow (Harrison): Bluegill fishing is fair with fish being caught close to shore on jigs tipped with night crawlers.

Schaben (Harrison): Fishing is fair for spawning bluegills close to shore. Night crawlers and bobbers on small jigs tipped with night crawlers works the best. Largemouth bass are also being caught on night crawlers and plastic baits.

Farm Ponds are good for largemouth bass, bluegills and channel catfish. 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 19: Water levels in all pools are below flood stage. Water temperature at Muscatine is 73 degrees. Water level at Muscatine is 5.77 and falling.

White bass fishing has been good below the dams using jigs and twister tails.

Walleye and sauger fishing is good on Sylvan Slough in Pool 16.

Crappies are biting in the backwaters as well as at West Lake Park. Catfishing is good on leeches along rocks.

Lake Darling (Washington): Between the high winds of last week and the rain, the lake is fairly muddy. Anglers are still catching bluegills in shallow and the catfishing is good; chicken liver seems to be a good bait to try.

Lake Geode (Henry): Bluegills are spawning….look for them on the shallow flats guarding the nests.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Catfishing has been good with shrimp and stink baits working the best. The bluegills are on the nests in the shallow water. Small jigs tipped with live bait are the way to go.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Walleyes have been hitting on night crawlers being drifted or trolled across drop-offs and rocky points. The most productive areas have been around the islands at Island View and the opening into South Fork. Channel catfish have been biting on night crawlers and liver. The fish have started to move into the rocks around the bridge at Bridgeview. Crappies have been hitting on small jigs fished in shallow water.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Bluegills and crappies have been hitting on small jigs tipped with a minnow or a wax worm. Largemouth bass have been hitting on a variety of artificial presentations.

Lake Wapello (Davis): Channel catfish have been biting on night crawlers and liver. Bluegills have been hitting on small jigs tipped with a night crawler or wax worm fished in 8 to 10 feet of water. Largemouth bass have been hitting artificial lures fished around the shoreline and downed trees.

Lake Miami (Monroe): Channel catfish have been biting on night crawlers and liver. Largemouth bass have been hitting spinner baits and crankbaits fished along the dam and the flooded timber.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): Trolling shad colored crankbaits has anglers catching a few walleyes, wipers and white bass. The walleyes tend to be on the reefs, while the others are in more open water.

Coralville Reservoir (Johnson): Channel catfish are moving up in the rocks to spawn and can be caught on a variety of live baits. Action should continue to pick up as the water temperature rises.

Pleasant Creek (Linn): Largemouth bass are biting on about anything. Try crankbaits, plastic worms, or live bait for best results. Bluegills can still be caught shallow on wax worms. A few walleyes are also being caught by trolling crankbaits, Lindy rigs, or on leeches on the bottom.

Kent Park (Johnson): Anglers are catching bluegills and largemouth bass. The bluegills should be fairly shallow and can be caught on wax worms or worms. The largemouth are also cruising the shallows and are hitting on artificial lures and night crawlers.

Skunk River (Washington and Henry): The river at Brighton has finally gone back into its banks and is dropping fast. Last week anglers were catching good numbers of catfish and flatheads below the Oakland Mills Dam as the fish were preying on the baitfish coming over the dam with the high water.

Iowa River (Louisa): Anglers are catching some nice flatheads on bank poles. Catfishing has also been fairly good.

Cedar River (Linn): Channel catfish are active and are being taken on stink bait. White bass can also be caught below the dams on bright twisters or large minnows.

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