Area Weather
Area water temperatures are in the upper 70’s in both lakes and streams.
NORTHWEST
Black Hawk Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Try fishing over the rock piles and from boat in 2-6 feet of water. Anglers have also had success in the fish house in Town Bay. Bluegill – Fair: Pick up 7- to 8-inch bluegill near rock piles and isolated timber near shore. Try floating a bobber with live bait or a jig tipped with a minnow or plastic. Channel Catfish – Fair. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use a plastic or crankbait near shallow rock piles and outcroppings. Walleye – Slow: Try fishing offshore near rock piles and dredge cuts.
Brushy Creek Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Find crappie in deeper habitat. Look for suspended fish near isolated brush and rock piles in 5-15 feet of water. Bluegill – Fair: Try fishing around open patches of vegetation along shore in 3-8 feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use a plastic or crankbait in 6-10 feet of water or isolated vegetation and structure along the edge of the channel. Walleye – Slow: Try a jig tipped with a minnow/plastic or crankbaits near isolated rock and brush piles in deeper water. Yellow Perch – Fair: Look for perch near isolated vegetation and shallow brush piles.
North Twin Lake
Water levels are about 2 feet below the crest of the spillway; use caution when launching boats at the ramps. Channel Catfish – Fair: This lake has a good population of catchable-sized fish. Use cut bait or dip baits near shore and around rocky structure.
Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake)
All walleye between 19- and 25-inches must be immediately released unharmed at Storm Lake; and no more than one walleye longer than 25-inches can be taken per day. Channel Catfish – Fair: There is a good population of 3-6 pound catfish. Try cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom near shore. Walleye – Fair: Try fishing the dredge cuts with crankbaits and crawler harnesses. Yellow Bass – Fair: Most fish are 5- to 7-inches. Yellow Perch – Slow.
Swan Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Fish are around 7-inches. Try a piece of crawler under a bobber near edges of vegetation or structure in 2-4 feet of water.
For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
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Beeds Lake
Black Crappie – Good: Drift or slow troll small jigs to target suspended crappie. Move around to find locations fish are holding.
Clear Lake
Water temperature is in the upper 70s. The lake level is down about 6 inches. Clear Lake has a protected slot on walleye. All walleye between 17- and 22-inches must be immediately released unharmed. No more than one walleye longer than 22-inches may be taken per day. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers are catching a few crappie targeting other species while using live bait and small jigs. Walleye – Fair: Use crankbaits in 8-10 feet of water. A few fish are being caught on live bait around the docks. Yellow Bass – Fair: Try a small jig tipped or live bait. Drift areas with 6-12 feet of depth to find schools.
Rice Lake
Largemouth Bass – Good: Use surface lures or jigs.
Silver Lake (Worth)
Largemouth Bass – Good: Try surface lures and weedless jigs. Fish up to 5 pounds are being caught.
For information on the lakes and rivers in north central Iowa, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
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East Okoboji Lake
The water temperature is in the upper 70s. Black Crappie – Fair. Bluegill – Fair: Most bluegill have moved deeper; you can still be successful fishing from a dock or shore. Use a small hook and piece of worm. In deeper water, use pilkies with wigglers or a slip bobber setup. Walleye – Fair. Yellow Perch – Fair: Sorting will be needed.
Ingham Lake
Walleye – Fair: Anglers have been successful morning and evening.
Lost Island Lake
Water temperatures are in the mid-70s. Black Crappie – Fair. Walleye – Fair: Try trolling with spinners over weeds.
Minnewashta Lake
Black Crappie – Fair. Bluegill – Fair. Pumpkinseed – Good.
Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Black Bullhead – Good. Walleye – Fair: Try trolling with spinners over or off weed lines.
Spirit Lake
Water temperatures are in the mid-70s. You may have to move out deeper to find the edge of weed lines. Black Bullhead – Good: Anglers have been very successful fishing the north grade. Black Crappie – Fair: Many nice-sized fish have been seen lately. Bluegill – Good: Try a small hook with a small piece of worm from the docks. In deeper water, use pilkies with wigglers or a slip bobber setup. Walleye – Fair: Leeches and minnows work well. Anglers have been successful with slip bobbers off points and pulling spinners over vegetation. Yellow Perch – Fair.
West Okoboji Lake
Water temperatures are in the mid-70s. Bass topwater bite has been good. Black Crappie – Fair: Try small jigs tipped with a minnow. Bluegill – Good: Use pilkies with wigglers or a slip bobber setup. Pumpkinseed – Good. Walleye – Fair: Leeches and minnows work well. Yellow Perch – Fair: Sorting may be needed.
Water temperatures are in the low 80s to upper 70s, but should start to slowly drop while we experience cooler nights. Most area water levels are slightly below crest. Anglers have found the most success fishing off rock points and the edges of weed lines. For current conditions, call the Spirit Lake District Office at 712-336-1840.
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NORTHEAST
Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Anglers are having success with bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, and channel catfish. Black Crappie – Fair: Find structure using electronics and jig colored tube jigs at various depths to locate fish; the south corner of the damn has been really good for crappie. Bluegill – Fair: Use a small jig with a piece of crawler under a slip bobber at various depths to find fish. Channel Catfish – Fair: Best bite is mornings and evenings. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Anglers are catching bass on most everything thrown at them; try spinners, crankbaits, and topwater baits.
Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
We received no information about fishing on this water body this week. Channel Catfish – No Report: Use crawlers. stink baits, and chicken livers. Smallmouth Bass – No Report: Try a jig with a twister and half of a crawler or cast crankbaits. Walleye – No Report: Use a jig with a twister and half of a crawler/whole leech or cast crankbaits.
Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
We received no information about fishing on this water body this week. Channel Catfish – No Report: Try crawlers, stink baits and chicken livers. Smallmouth Bass – No Report: Use a jig with a twister and half of a crawler or cast crankbaits. Walleye – No Report: Try a jig with a twister and half of a crawler/whole leach or cast crankbaits.
Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
We received no information about fishing on this water body this week. Channel Catfish – No Report: Use crawlers, stink baits, and chicken livers. Smallmouth Bass – No Report: Try a jig with a twister and half of a crawler/whole leech or cast crankbaits. Walleye – No Report: Use a jig with a twister and half of a crawler/whole leech or cast crankbaits.
Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
We received no information about fishing on this water body this week. Channel Catfish – No Report: Use crawlers, stink baits, and chicken livers. Smallmouth Bass – No Report: Try a jig with a twister and half of a crawler/whole leech or cast crankbaits. Walleye – No Report: Use a jig with a twister and half of a crawler/whole leech or cast crankbaits.
Interior river levels remain low. Anglers have not been out fishing due to the recent heat wave. There have been no reports on the lakes in and around Cedar Falls/Waterloo area. Trout streams are low and clear across northeast Iowa; consider fishing during low light conditions and approach streams carefully to avoid disturbing wild fish. For more information, contact the Manchester Hatchery at 563-927-3276.
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MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Mississippi River Pool 12
The water level is stable at 4.4 feet at Lock and Dam 11 at Dubuque and 7.0 feet at the RR bridge. Water temperature is around 79 degrees; water clarity is good. Use caution to avoid backing off the ramps in this very low water. Use the minimum amount of water to float boats on our ramps. Bluegill – Good: Anglers pitching small jigs with worms are catching gills off the wing-dams. Gills are moving around a bit; keep moving if they do not bite right away. Channel Catfish – Good: Try cut bait or stink bait in the current seams or above tree falls. Move often if you are not getting fish. Flathead Catfish – Good: Use trot lines baited with live green sunfish or carp. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: A simple egg sinker with a worm rig works best to catch abundant drum. Use large crayfish to catch larger drum. Largemouth Bass – Excellent: Bass are on the feed. Try plastic baits along shoreline weed beds during low water. Hit shady spots when the sun is bright. Northern Pike – Good: Try fishing near cooler tributary streams in the evenings. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Cast inline spinners or crankbaits just off rock points to catch smallmouth feeding in the rocks. Lots of smallmouth have moved on to the wing-dams. Walleye – Good: Most anglers are pulling or throwing crankbaits at higher speeds to start the bite. Catch has been up and down like walleye angling tends to be. White Bass – Fair: Try minnows or small spinners in tailwater areas to catch abundant white bass. They have been seen blowing up minnows in tailwater areas. Yellow Perch – Fair: An occasional yellow perch has been reported; surveys show that their populations are very strong in the river.
Mississippi River Pool 13
The water level at Lock and Dam 13 at Bellevue is stable at near 3.7 feet. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is around 80 degrees. The Iowa DNR ramp is back open; maintenance has been completed. Use caution to avoid backing off the ramps in this very low water. Use the minimum amount of water to float boats on our ramps. Black Crappie – Good: Some nice crappies are being caught out of the sluggish deeper side channels. Usually anglers are targeting wood piles in the river using small minnows. Bluegill – Good: Use worms along rock lines to catch abundant bluegills. Channel Catfish – Good: Try stick bait or worms along rock piles. In the lower parts of the pool, try to concentrate in the stump fields or along the weed lines. Bigger cats may bite on cut bait; move often if they are not biting. Flathead Catfish – Good: Flathead anglers have switched to trot lines baited with green sunfish or carp. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: A simple egg sinker with a worm rig works best to catch abundant drum. Try fishing in moderate current areas. Largemouth Bass – Excellent: Try plastics along vegetation lines. Northern Pike – Fair: Use flashy spinners near the confluence of cooler tributary streams. Best bite is in the evening hours. Rainbow Trout – No Report: The kids fishing pond is unfishable as the vegetation has taken hold. The pond will be restocked this fall with trout when vegetation clears. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Cast inline spinners just off rock points to catch smallmouth feeding on minnows. Many smallmouth are also on the wing-dams, especially in this low water. Walleye – Fair: Some walleyes are being picked up on wing-dams; catch has been sporadic. White Bass – Good: White bass are biting in the tailwater areas and can be seen feeding on minnows.
Mississippi River Pool 14
The water level at Fulton is stable at near 4.4 feet, 9.3 feet at Camanche, and near 4.0 feet at LeClaire. Levels are predicted to be stable all week. Water temperature is around 80 degrees. Use caution to avoid backing off the ramps in this very low water. Use the minimum amount of water to float boats on our ramps. Bluegill – Good: Use worms rigs and a simple bobber along rock lines. Channel Catfish – Good: Try cut bait or stink bait in the current seams or along rock lines. The bite has slowed a bit; keep moving if you are not catching fish. Lots of anglers use stink bait; expect bites within 20 minutes or move to other spots. Catfish can be extremely clumped up; you can catch many when you find them. Recent bump in water levels should trigger a better bite for channel cats. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: A simple egg sinker with a worm rig works best to catch abundant drum. Need areas with moderate current flow; many areas around boat ramps can be good places to target drum. Largemouth Bass – Excellent: Try soft plastics along vegetation lines and brush piles. Northern Pike – Fair: Use flashy spinners near cooler tributary streams. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Cast inline spinners just off rock points to catch smallmouth feeding in the rocks; exposed wing-dam rock can be very good. Walleye – Good: Lots of trolling being done in side channel areas using crankbaits. White Bass – Good: Try small spinners or jigs in the tailwater to catch abundant white bass and occasional hybrid white bass.
Mississippi River Pool 15
The water level at Rock Island is stable at near 4.8 feet. Water clarity is improving. Water temperature is 81 degrees. Use caution to avoid backing off the ramps in this very low water. Use the minimum amount of water to float boats on our ramps. Channel Catfish – Good: Try stink bait around log jams or rock lines. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Use an egg sinker and worm rig to catch abundant drum. Keep your fish on ice after catching; they make excellent table fare. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try throwing spinners along the rock lines in Pool 15. Lots of rock is available; need somewhat strong current to hold smallmouth bass. White Bass – Fair: Use small spinners in the tailwater areas to catch feeding white bass and hybrids.
River levels are fairly steady, but low. When boating, use caution to avoid backing trailers off the back of ramps. Use the minimum amount of water to float boats off trailer. Water temperatures are in the low 80s. Good fishing is occurring throughout the district; it’s a perfect time to get on the water. If you have angling questions, please call Bellevue Fisheries Management at 563-880-8781.
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SOUTHEAST
Big Hollow Lake
The water temperature is in the mid-80s. Water clarity is about 3 feet. Black Crappie – No Report: Try slow trolling down about 6 feet along the edges of the standing trees, as well as along the edges of the boat lanes to find crappie. Bluegill – Fair: Find bluegill in the trees down 5 or 6 feet from the surface; use worm and bobber. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Look for bass down at about 6 feet, no deeper. Flip soft plastics and jigs back into the flooded timber at 4-6 feet down to find them.
Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River)
Paddlers are going to be doing more than a little dragging; lots of sand showing above water. Channel Catfish – Fair: Find the deeper pools of water around the brush piles and logjams that are even smaller now; catfish are really packed in.
Lake Belva Deer
Water temperature is in the 80s. Best bite is early morning. Bluegill – Slow: Try vertically jigging around the trees to a depth of about 6-7 feet. Drift quietly from spot to spot; use a 1/64 oz jig tipped with a waxworm. Try the bays on the south side where there is more shade on the water. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try along the top of the mounds at the upper end of the lake where the tops of them are 6-8 feet deep. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Bass are suspended down about 6-7 feet out in the trees. Try soft plastic or weedless jigs early in the morning.
Lake Darling
Water temperature is in the low 80s. Very little angler activity this week with the extreme heat. Bluegill – Slow: Best bite is early morning. Find bluegill in 6-7 feet of water. Try out in the old willow bats at those depths where they can hide from the bass looking for them. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try along the rock piles out in front of the fishing trail between to “point” and the campground boat ramp. They are working the rock piles for crawdads and are about a cast from shore. Use chicken liver; using nightcrawlers will get you a bunch of bluegills. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Expect bass to return to 6-7.5 feet of water with the return of the hot weather. Try slowly trolling crankbaits over top of the fish habitat to find them as they try to stay cool.
Lost Grove Lake
Water clarity is 7-8 feet with a little green tint to the water. Water temperature is in the upper 70s to low 80s. Almost all of the aquatic vegetations is gone; the last of the Eurasian watermilfoil treatment was completed last week. The thermocline starts at 7 feet and bottoms out at 14 feet; find most fish at 10-14 feet. Lost Grove Lake has Eurasian Watermilfoil; be sure to clean all vegetation off your boat and trailer before leaving the boat ramp area. Black Crappie – Slow: Crappies are out along the edge of the flooded timber in 10 to 12 feet of water. Try vertical jigging or slow trolling until you find them. Bluegill – Fair: With the hot weather, bluegills haven’t moved in any shallower. Look for them in 10-12 feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Most boats are out from shore either vertically jigging or slow trolling crankbaits in about 10-12 feet of water. The lack of weedbeds has pushed them out to deeper habitat. The thermocline bottoms out a little deeper at about 14 feet.
Skunk River (Rose Hill to Coppock)
The water level is going back down fairly quickly. Expect to be doing some dragging with anything bigger than a kayak. Channel Catfish – Good: Try fishing the deeper water around the established log jams. Stink baits work well; don’t forget the nightcrawlers.
For more information on the above lakes and rivers call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319- 694-2430.
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Coralville Reservoir
Current pool level is 684.1 feet. Channel Catfish – Good: Try trolling cut bait in the channel. Reports that bluegills or green sunfish have been better than shad due to the abundance of shad in the lake.
Kent Park Lake
There is quite a bit of vegetation in the lake. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try fishing on top of or along the weeds; most fish are 12- to 15-inches.
Lake Macbride
The 10 hp maximum is in effect, as well as the 5 mph speed limit. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use cut bait or livers. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try fishing around the rock/wood or topwaters in the morning or night. Walleye – Slow: Troll crankbaits or crawler harness in 7-15 feet of water.
Pleasant Creek Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Try livers or stink bait. Walleye – Slow: Use jigs or live bait along rock in 8-15 feet of water. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Fair: Look for surface activity at sunrise/sunset or try crankbaits for suspended fish.
For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
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Hawthorn Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Try small jigs and minnows. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use nightcrawlers or liver along shoreline areas with rock. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use jigs and plastics along rip-rapped shorelines.
Lake Miami
Black Crappie – Fair: Try small jigs and minnows in the flooded timber. Bluegill – Fair: Use small jigs tipped with a chunk of nightcrawler around the cedar tree piles. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try dead chubs or liver in 4-8 feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Good: Use jigs along structure and near shore.
Lake Sugema
Black Crappie – Fair: Try small jigs around submerged structure. Bluegill – Fair: Use small jigs fished in small pockets in the vegetation and along its outer edges. Largemouth Bass – Good: Use spinnerbaits or jigs along rip-rapped shorelines and around the rock jetties. Try topwater lures early and late in the day.
Lake Wapello
Black Crappie – Slow: Drift minnows in deeper water to catch suspended crappies. Bluegill – Fair: Try small jigs around structure. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use liver or nightcrawlers in 4-8 feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Good: Try crankbaits or rubber worms in the cedar tree piles.
Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 903.87 msl; recreation pool is 904 msl. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels so make sure to properly drain, clean and dry equipment before transporting to another waterbody. Black Crappie – Slow: Try trolling small crankbaits to catch suspended crappie. Some crappies are still around docks; use jig and minnow combinations in those areas. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use dead chubs or nightcrawlers in areas with windblown shorelines. Walleye – Fair: Anglers are catching walleyes trolling shad mimicking crankbaits and crawler harnesses. Target areas with rock piles or depth variations. There is a 15-inch minimum length limit on walleye at Lake Rathbun. All walleyes measuring less than 15-inches must be immediately released unharmed. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Fair: Anglers are catching hybrid striped bass trolling or vertically jigging over rock piles.
Red Haw Lake
Park visitors are asked to avoid the campground area due to the continued storm damage cleanup. Bluegill – Fair: Target the submerged habitat using small jigs. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use dead chubs around the rock jetties and along the dam. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try plastics along the rock jetties and the dam.
Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa.
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SOUTHWEST
Lake Anita
The water clarity has improved. Black Crappie – Slow: Slow troll open water areas keeping your bait above 10 feet to catch 9-inch black crappies. Early morning bite is best. Bluegill – Good: Troll or drift small jigs to catch 8-inch fish. The campground arm has been the best. Largemouth Bass – Fair.
Lake Manawa
Lake Manawa is 2 feet low. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try Sonny’s dip bait or cut bait on windy shorelines. Catch catfish of all sizes. Walleye – Slow: Cast or troll crankbaits near the sides of dredge cuts to find actively feeding walleye. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Slow: Walleye anglers are picking up an occasional wiper on crankbaits.
Meadow Lake
The DNR is drawing Meadow down 3 feet to improve the size quality of bluegill. The boat ramp is usable. Black Crappie – No Report: Find 9-inch black crappie around cedar tree piles. Bluegill – Slow: Use nightcrawlers under a bobber. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Anglers are catching largemouth bass out of tree piles using plastics.
Prairie Rose Lake
Water clarity is poor. Black Crappie – Slow: Look for crappie around deep tree piles; fish average 10-inches. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are catching bluegill around the underwater reefs with nightcrawlers. Largemouth Bass – Good: Largemouth bass can be caught all around the lake.
Viking Lake
Water clarity is poor. Black Crappie – Slow: Look for crappies around deep tree piles. Fish will average 9-inches. There is a large year class of 6-inch black crappie in the lake. Bluegill – Slow: Try slow trolling or casting crawlers under a bobber around deep tree piles. Fish will average 8-inches. Channel Catfish – No Report: Viking has a good population of 19- to 22-inch channel catfish. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Cast the shoreline just outside the flooded terrestrial vegetation. Anglers are catching numbers of bass in shallow tree piles.
Willow Lake
Willow lake has very good water clarity. Panfishing has been good this year. Black Crappie – No Report: Look for black crappie in deep tree piles. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills average 8-inches. Largemouth Bass – Fair.
For information on lakes in the Southwest District call the Cold Springs office at 712-769-2587.
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Green Valley Lake
Docks are in at the beach and dam boat ramps. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Catch largemouth bass up to 20-inches with finesse plastics fished along cedar tree brush piles.
Little River Watershed Lake
The dock is in at the main boat ramp. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Try finesse plastics fished along cedar tree brush piles or along rocky shoreline areas to catch all sizes of largemouth bass.
Three Mile Lake
Docks are in at main ramp. Bluegill – Slow: Try a jig tipped with a nightcrawler fished on the fish mounds or along the roadbed to catch bluegill up to 8.5-inches.
Twelve Mile Creek Lake
The dock is in at main boat ramp. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Try jigs fished along rock piles to catch all sizes of largemouth bass.
Water temperature is in the upper 70s to low 80s in most Mount Ayr district lakes. For more information, call the Mount Ayr Fisheries office at 641-464-3108.
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