Iowa Fishing Reports - 10/2/2008

Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Fishing is slowly picking up on the Mississippi River in Pools 9 to 15 with the drop in water temperature. Water levels at Lynxville are 12.3 feet, Guttenberg 4.0 feet, Dubuque 7.12 feet, Bellevue 4.11 feet, and Camanche 9.02 feet. The river is forecast to remain stable over the next week. Water temperature is in the mid 60s. As the temperature continues to drop, a fall feeding binge will begin for many fish species.

Walleye and sauger fishing is picking up in the tailwaters near Lock and Dams 9 (Lynxville), 10 (Guttenberg), 11 (Dubuque), and 12 (Bellevue). In Pool 9, anglers are reporting good catches of walleye in Minnesota Slough. Now is a good time of the year to troll crankbaits along the wing dams and running sloughs near Harpers Ferry (Pool 10) for larger walleyes. Try using a three-way rig tipped with either a floater or leach in Pools 12 to 15 along the front edge of the wing dams or the upper dams when they are in series. Sauger fishing should really pick up as water temperature drops into the 50s.

Fishing is very good for channel catfish using worms fished on the bottom in Pools 9 through 11.

Smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing is good casting crankbaits along rocks with current in Pools 9 through 11.

Bluegill fishing is excellent near Harpers Ferry (Pool 10) near fallen trees. Bluegill fishing is fair in Pools 12 through 15 on night crawlers fished on the bottom in the snags along the side channel and around wing dams with little flow.

Crappie fishing is picking up in Pools 9 through 15 along snags in the side channels and running sloughs. Fishing should pick up as water temperature continues to decline. Try using small jigs or minnows on a bare hook for crappies or tie your boat up to the snag and vertically jig a small jig and minnow.

Freshwater drum (sheepshead) fishing is good in Pools 9 through 15 using night crawlers on the bottom. Drum can be found at nearly any shoreline location adjacent to the channel. Use a sliding egg sinker with night crawler or crayfish for bait. Large crayfish often produce larger drum.

Northern pike are hitting crankbaits in Minnesota Slough (Pool 9) and Harpers Ferry (Pool 10).

Cedar River (Mitchell, Floyd and Chickasaw): The river is still off color due to a diatom bloom but as water temperature drops, water clarity will improve. This bloom should not scare the angler away as the fish are still there waiting for whatever lure you want to throw their way. Try fishing for walleyes in the deeper pools using jigs tipped with long piece of night crawler. Channel catfishing has slowed a bit.

Shell Rock River (Floyd and Bremer): River conditions are very good and anglers are having good success. Fishing is excellent for channel catfish on night crawlers, live minnows and chicken liver. Walleye fishing is good casting crankbaits or jigs tipped with a night crawler or minnow near current breaks or runs below the riffles in 3 to 4 feet of water. Also try casting jigs tipped with a night crawler onto the sandbars and let them drop into deeper holes with current.

Cedar River (Bremer, Black Hawk), Maquoketa River (Delaware, Jones), Shell Rock River (Butler), and Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan, Black Hawk): Fishing is currently good for channel catfish, smallmouth bass and walleye. Now is a great time to fish as water levels are favorable in all area rivers, water temperature is dropping, and water clarity is excellent. Fish activity is high during this time of year as fish feed in preparation for winter and the spring spawn. As water temperature cools, use more live bait presentations, such as a jig-and-night crawler, and slow-down retrieval speeds.

Turkey River (Clayton): Try using a variety of lures and live bait for smallmouth bass. Walleye can be caught in the deeper pools with slow moving artificial lures.

Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek and Allamakee): Anglers have been picking up larger smallmouth bass above Decorah. Try fishing twister tails and crankbaits in the pools and in the riffles. Walleye are biting on crankbaits, Shad Raps and white twister tails in the deeper pools. Also try tipping lead head with night crawler fished slowly on bottom of deep holes.

Yellow River (Allamakee): Water clarity is excellent. Smallmouth bass and trout fishing are good and should be picking up. Try using twister tails in a variety of colors.

Avenue of the Saints Lake and Plainfield Lake (Bremer County): Fishing is good for largemouth bass and bluegills; try crankbaits and plastics for largemouth and use small night crawlers or red worms for bluegill.

Casey Lake (Tama): Fishing is good for bluegills using flies and wax worms. Bass fishing is fair.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Fishing is fair to good for bluegill using live bait. Bass fishing is good around structure using crankbaits and plastics.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): Largemouth bass fishing is good with a variety of artificial lures fished along shore. Channel catfish are actively looking for food in shallow area. Try using night crawlers or chicken liver fished on the bottom. Bluegill fishing is fair. Try using smaller gear when fishing midday to hook the finicky ones. Larger crappies are being caught by slowly trolling at 4 to 5 feet deep with a minnow.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Good numbers of 7 to 9-inch crappies are moving in on the brush piles on the south and east sides of the lake. They are being caught with small jigs or minnows under a bobber. Try throwing the rig a few feet past the snags and reeling in toward them. This works really well if the wind is blowing into the snags. Bluegill fishing is good for medium sized fish on night crawlers or angleworms. Some larger bluegills are being caught while fishing for crappie with jigs. Largemouth bass fishing is fair using spinner baits working the shoreline. Channel catfish fishing has slowed, but a few nice sized ones are still being caught.

Volga Lake (Fayette): Largemouth bass fishing is good in the early morning and late evening hours. Use slower-moving artificial lures worked along structure. Bluegill fishing is fair using wax worms or night crawlers on a very small hook under a bobber near structure. Crappies are being caught while slowly drifting or trolling in deeper, open water using a slip bobber. Catfishing has slowed, but there is an excellent population of channel catfish in this lake. A good number of them are in the trophy-sized range.

Northeast Iowa Trout Streams: GO!!! Area streams are in excellent condition, fishing pressure is moderate while fishing continues to be outstanding, and fall colors are adding a splash of colors to northeast Iowa. Stream stockings are no longer announced, but do not let this bog you down. There are plenty of fish out there and the leaves are really beginning to put on a show.

Anglers are reminded to help the DNR monitor the health of our streams and rivers by reporting fish kills immediately by calling 515-281-8694. This hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Only with your help can we continue to protect and enhance the aquatic communities in our public waters.

For information on fishing in northeast Iowa, call the regional office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.
Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Walleyes are being caught drifting the weed lines with spinner rigs tipped with worms or casting along weed lines with crankbaits or jerk baits, and by fishing from shore at the North Grade with a minnow and jig at sunrise or sunset. Fish weed lines with jerk baits or tube jigs for smallmouth bass. Bluegills are biting around boat docks on ice jigs tipped with worms or wax worms or at the North Grade. Vertically jig or drift with small jigging spoons or micro jigs tipped with worms across the main lake basin for yellow perch. Work tube jigs or other soft plastics around boat docks for largemouth bass.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): White bass are biting at bridges and boat docks on a slip bobber and minnow. For yellow bass, drift to find active fish then anchor and vertically jig with jigging spoons tipped with worms, or fish around docks with a bobber and minnow. Channel catfish are biting on cut bait, liver and stink bait around the bridges. Fish around boat docks with ice jigs tipped with worms for bluegills.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Largemouth bass are being caught around the docks and weed lines with soft plastics and jerk baits. Smallmouth bass are being picked up around the points with soft plastics or jerk baits, or on surface lures late in the evening. Troll with crankbaits along the weed lines and rock piles in Brown’s, Emerson and Miller’s bays, or drift with bottom bouncers and live bait for walleyes. Yellow perch are biting at the rock piles and weed lines around points and bays on small jigging spoons tipped with live bait. Troll or cast along weed edges in Miller’s, North, Smith’s and Emerson bays for northern pike. Cast or troll along the weed lines and rock piles in Emerson, Millers, North and Smith Bay with crankbaits and spinners for muskies.

Minnewashta (Dickinson): Fish around boat docks with small ice jigs tipped with live bait for bluegills, yellow bass and some crappies.

Upper Gar (Dickinson): Use ice jigs tipped with live bait around boat docks for bluegills, yellow bass and crappies.

West Fork of the Des Moines River: Fish a jig and minnow around riffles and holes for walleyes.

Yellow Smoke Lake (Crawford): Fishing is good for bluegill and crappie around flooded timber on small ice jigs tipped with night crawlers.

North Twin Lake (Calhoun): Fishing is fair to good for yellow bass on jigs tipped with cut bait.

Brushy Creek (Webster): Bluegills are in 10 to 15 feet of water and can be caught on a piece of worm on a small hook fished just off the bottom. A few crappies have been caught on minnows around trees located near shore. Bass have been more active. Water clarity is fair.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing continues to be slow. A few fish are being caught in the west end of the lake. Yellow bass fishing is good around drifting cut bait or a piece of night crawler in 8 to 14 feet of water by the artificial weed beds, from the island to the north shore and by the Baptist Camp. White bass are sill biting around the island and from any sandy areas in the morning and late evening. A few muskies are being caught trolling baits near the weed edge.

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

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): A few crappies are biting in the evenings.

Lake of Three Fires (Taylor): Several mid-sized largemouth bass can be caught from structure or the edges of the lotus beds in 3 to 6 feet of water. Channel catfish can be caught using cut baits in less than 6 feet of water, from the shoreline. Several nice bluegills have been caught on night crawlers near shore. Water clarity is at least 4 feet.

Icaria (Adams): A few channel catfish are being caught using cut bait. Largemouth bass are biting on crankbaits and spinners. Bullheads are biting well on night crawlers.

Three Mile Lake (Union): Largemouth bass are being caught near structure. A few crappies are caught suspended over the dirt mounds. Wipers and walleyes have picked up over the rock areas.

Twelve Mile Lake (Union): Several mid-sized largemouth bass are being caught from the flooded timber. Bullheads are biting well on night crawlers anywhere in the lake. Some crappies and several bluegills biting are rear rocks.

Green Valley (Union): The water level is drained down to 12 feet and the fishery was renovated. Fish will be restocked by early October. Boating access is possible using the main ramp but not encouraged. Extreme care must be used during launching and loading.

Local Rivers and Streams: Anglers have been catching an abundance of catfish in these areas.

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

Don Williams (Boone): A few crappies and bluegills are being caught on jigs tipped with minnows.

Big Creek (Polk): Crappie fishing is still reported as slow with a few fish being caught. Catfish can still be caught on chicken liver, shrimp or stink bait.

Red Rock (Marion): White bass bite has slowed.

Rock Creek (Jasper): Crappie fishing is reported as good using small jigs tipped with wax worms.

Saylorville Lake (Polk): White bass fishing is still fair out in the main lake trolling or jigging. Good numbers of catfish are being caught using cut bait and fishing on flats in around 15 feet of water.

Hickory Grove (Story): Fishing has been slow with smaller catches of Bluegill and Crappie. A few Catfish are still being caught on cut bait and stink bait. .

Lake Ahquabi and Hooper (Warren): Bluegill and crappie bite is slow. A few catfish are still being caught.

Skunk River (Story): Smallmouth fishing is still very good with some nice fish up to 17 inches being caught using crawfish imitations or small inline spinners.

Banner Pits (Warren): South Banner is being drawn down to a normal level. Shoreline access will improve.

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

Viking Lake (Montgomery): Anglers are catching 16 to 19-inch channel catfish on stink baits or chicken liver.

Lake Manawa (Pottawattamie): Catfish are fair to good using crawdads and shrimp. Crappies are being caught on the northeast part of lake around boat docks. Fishing for wipers is good on east side of lake. Walleyes are picking up using large minnows.

Willow Lake (Harrison): Channel catfish has been fair using liver.

Meadow Lake (Adair): Meadow is open to fishing, however the lake has been lowered 8 feet and the boat ramp is not usable. Habitat improvements are scheduled for this fall and winter.

Orient (Adair): Catfish is fair using liver.

Greenfield (Adair): Bluegills are fair drifting small jigs and around jetties. A few catfish are being caught on liver.

Mormon Trail (Adair): Fishing for channel catfish has been good in the evenings using liver and cut bait.

Lake Anita (Cass): Crappie fishing is good for 8 to 9-inch fish drifting a small white jig or anchored near structure. Schools of crappie have scattered around the lake and when anglers find the schools, they are able to catch quite a few. Largemouth Bass fishing has been good using plastic baits around rock reefs and along the road bed during the day.

Arrowhead Lake (Pottawattamie): Largemouth bass are being caught using plastic baits around structure. Channel catfish is fair using liver.

Prairie Rose Lake (Shelby): Channel catfish is fair using liver and stink bait.

Middle Raccoon River (Guthrie): A few bluegills and crappies are being caught below the Lennon Mills Dam. Conditions are favorable for fishing the catch and release stretch for smallmouth bass from Lennon Mills Dam to Redfield.

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

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

Mississippi River Pools 16 to 20: In Pool 16, river stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 4.46 feet with water temperature around 68 degrees. Channel catfish are being caught on shad and dip baits. Crappies are being caught in the Andalusia Island complex fishing brush piles with minnows and tube jigs. Walleye fishing has been slow but some fish are being caught on the wing dams around Credit Island. A few white bass are being caught in Sylvan Slough. In Pool 17, river stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 3.76 feet with water temperature around 66 degrees. Channel catfish are being caught on dip baits and night crawlers. Crappies are being caught on jigs and minnows fishing the brush piles in Big Timber. Some crappies are also being caught in the Muscatine Harbor. Walleye fishing has been slow. White bass fishing has been slow.

In Pool 18, river stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 4.46 feet. Channel catfish are being caught fishing shad along the main channel. Crappies are being caught in Huron Island fishing the brush piles with minnows and tube jigs. In Pool 19, river stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 1.79 feet. Channel catfish are being caught on shad and night crawlers. Some crappies are being caught in the backwaters on minnows. In Pool 20, river stage at Lock and Dam 19 is 3.05 feet. Tailwater stages are changing daily due to dam releases. Channel catfish are being caught on shad and night crawlers.

Lake Odessa (Louisa): Anglers are catching nice crappies and bluegills around the trees and beaver lodges in the Horseshoe Bend and Sand Run areas. Yes, this is the same as last week’s report but the fish are on their fall migration and they are looking for something to eat.

Lake Darling (Washington): The channel and flathead catfish fishing has been fair to good with the arrival of the cooler weather. They are looking to fatten up for the winter. Cut bait and chicken liver for the channels and green sunfish for the flatheads.

Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Fishing is good right now. Anglers are catching good numbers of the big bluegills in 10 feet of water along the weed beds and other habitat at that depth. Anglers are also taking a lot of catfish as those fish start to fatten up for winter.

Lake Geode (Henry): The fish are still trying to settle down after the lake came up from those heavy rains a couple of weeks ago. The redears are coming in shallow as well as a few crappies.

Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): The lake is about 14 feet above normal pool and three boat ramps remain open; Bridgeview, Honey Creek, and Buck Creek marina high water ramp. Crappies have been hitting on minnows fished around the shoreline in flooded vegetation. Walleyes have been hitting on crankbaits being trolled along rocky drop-offs and underwater islands.

Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Crappies have been hitting on small jigs and minnows. Bluegills have been biting on small jigs fished around a variety of underwater structure.

Lake Wapello (Davis): The lake has been drained for renovation.

Lake Miami (Monroe): Crappies have been hitting on small jigs and on minnows. Try drifting along deeper water. Use small jigs fished along shore for bluegills and an occasional crappie.

Lake Macbride (Johnson): Fishing has been hit or miss here. Crappies can be found in some of the brush piles and some are still roaming open water. A few walleyes, channel catfish, and largemouth bass are also being picked up. Remember, any size motor may be used at no wake speed during this time of the year.

Union Grove (Tama): Bluegill fishing around shallow structure has been good. A few crappies will also be found on the shallow brush, but boat anglers are also picking crappies up by drifting the main lake.

Skunk River (Washington and Henry): The river has fallen back to what it was before the big rains. Anglers in the Brighton area are catching nice numbers of catfish. Anglers are also catching good numbers of flatheads as these big fish are staring to move to their over wintering holes as the water temps drop.

Iowa River (Louisa): The river was almost back to its normal level but it has started to go back up. The rise is forecasted to be short lived and the river level should start to drop very soon. Look for the fishing for flatheads to start picking up as they start on their fall feeding frenzy.

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

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Iowa Fishing Report - 8/28/2008

 The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be releasing the weekly fishing report on Thursdays in an effort to provide the latest information heading into the weekend. The weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys, and county and state parks staff.

For current information, contact the district fisheries office. Phone numbers are listed with each district report.

Report for August 28, 2008

Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Fishing has slowed as the water levels remained low on the Mississippi River. On Thursday, water levels were as follows: Lansing 7.9 feet, Lynxville, Wis., 12.2 feet, McGregor 6.8 feet, Guttenberg 4.2 feet, Dubuque 7.45 feet, Bellevue 4.11 feet, and Camanche 8.96 feet. Water levels are stable and temperature is at 74 degrees. Be careful when boating on the Mississippi as a lot of new snags have appeared after the spring floods. In addition, many wing dams that boaters have been easily crossing for most of the year are now near the water surface. Whenever traveling the Mississippi River by boat, try to stay in the main channel as much as possible.

Walleye fishing is fair along the wing dams from Pools 12 through 15. Use a three-way rig tipped with either a leech or night crawler fished along the front edge of the wing dams. Some folks are also using a three-way rig with a floating crankbait and report catching larger walleyes.

Fishing is good for channel catfish around the wing dams and side channels with rocky shorelines and riprap areas. Channel catfish are also near fallen snags and the holes behind the wing dams in Pools 9 through 15. Catfish can also move into the shallow water using the weed line as an overhead cove. Use stink bait or night crawlers and fish off the bottom in the side channels and around the wing dams for catfish. Good catfishing areas in the upper pools include: Minnesota Slough and Winneshiek Slough (Pool 9), Harpers Slough and Stateline Slough (Pool 10), and Cassville Slough and Hurricane Slough (Pool 11). Channel catfish are plentiful in the Mississippi River and now is the time to fish for them.

Anglers fishing in Pools 9 through 15 are having fair to good success fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Look for areas with moderate current and structure, such as wood or rocks. Bass also concentrate along rocky shorelines with drop-offs. Bass hotspots include Minnesota Slough near New Albin (Pool 9), Harpers Slough in Harpers Ferry (Pool 10), and the tailwater areas below the locks and dams in Guttenberg, Dubuque and Bellevue. In other parts of the pools, try fishing spinner baits along the weedy edges of the main channel.

Bluegill fishing is fair to good in Pools 9 through 15 on wax worms or garden worms suspended under a bobber fished along rip rapped shorelines or near woody structure adjacent to the channel and side channels. Keep moving until you find those good pockets of bluegills. As waters recede, try fishing some eddy current areas near shore wing dam areas. A split shot and a piece of night crawler is ideal in these areas. Better bluegill fishing can be found on the wing dams in the Harpers Ferry area (Pool 10) and some movement is being made back to the adjacent backwaters.

Crappie fishing is still hit or miss, with most fishing occurring in deeper slough areas using crappie rigs and slow trolling around the snags and woody cover in the backwater areas and side channels. The backwater areas around New Albin (Pool 9), Harpers Ferry (Pool 10), and Guttenberg (Pool 11) are good places for crappies as well as Minnesota Slough (Pool 9) and Cassville Slough (Pool 11). Some reports are coming in of crappies being taken off wing dams which is unusual, but they may be associating with this structure during low water. As fall approaches, crappie fishing should pick up as they begin to concentrate in the deeper sloughs.

Freshwater drum (sheepshead) fishing is good to excellent in Pools 9 through 15 using night crawlers on the bottom. Drum can be found at nearly any shoreline location adjacent to the channel. Use a sliding egg sinker with night crawler or crayfish for bait. Large crayfish often produce larger drum.

Cedar River (Mitchell, Floyd and Chickasaw): Water levels appear to be relatively stable and clarity has improved. Fishing continues to be good for channel catfish using night crawlers, minnows or chicken liver. Walleye fishing is picking up on twister tails tipped with a night crawler and moved very slowly. Crankbaits are working as well. Smallmouth bass are biting well on night crawlers, but have not been hitting the artificials very well.

Cedar (Bremer) and Shell Rock rivers (Butler): Fishing is excellent for channel catfish on stink baits, dead minnows and chicken liver. Walleye and smallmouth bass fishing is excellent on crankbaits and jigs tipped with a night crawler. Bass are associated with rocky areas and other structure. Walleye can be found around woody structure and current breaks. Northern pike fishing has picked up using chubs and spinner baits. Crappies are biting in the Cedar River above and below the Waverly Dam. Fish a minnow under a bobber or cast jigs for crappies.

Cedar River (Black Hawk): Fishing is improving as this section of the river continues to clear and drop to more normal water levels. Channel catfish, walleye and smallmouth bass are beginning to bite.

Maquoketa River (Delaware and Jones): Walleye and smallmouth bass are biting on crankbaits or jigs tipped with a night crawler or minnow. Cast next to woody structure or into current breaks in or near deeper pools. Fishing is good for channel catfish in the deeper pools using stink baits or chicken liver. Fishing is good below the Lake Delhi Dam for crappie, channel catfish and walleye. Use a minnow suspended under a bobber for crappie. Walleye are hitting jigs tipped with a minnow or night crawler and channel catfish are biting on stink bait, night crawlers and chicken liver.

Shell Rock River (Floyd and Bremer): Fishing is excellent for channel catfish on night crawlers, live minnows and chicken liver.

Turkey River (Clayton): Smallmouth bass fishing is fair using night crawlers, twister tails and shad raps fished on the edge of current breaks. Walleye are not being caught in large numbers, but the ones that are being caught are big. These hefty fish can be targeted in the deeper pools of the river near Clermont and Elgin. Channel catfish fishing is fair below the Elkader Dam using cut baits and a variety of other catfishing favorites.

Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek and Allamakee): Water clarity looks good and flows are consistent for a great float this weekend. Fishing for smallmouth bass is fair from the Upper Dam all the way up river, and good from the Lower Dam down. They have been biting on night crawlers or a variety of artificial lures. From the Lower Dam to the mouth of the river, night crawlers have been the bait of choice. The walleye fishing has been a flip-flop of the smallmouth fishing, with anglers having better luck in the upper portions of the river. Jigs tipped with a night crawler or crankbaits in the deeper water are the baits of choice.

Volga River (Fayette): Smallmouth fishing is excellent above Fayette. Anglers are having tremendous success using just about any of the smallmouth fishing favorites.

Wapsipinicon River (Black Hawk and Buchanan): Channel catfish are biting on stink baits, night crawlers and chicken liver fished on the bottom near tree snags and in the deeper pools. Smallmouth bass fishing is good on artificial baits and jigs tipped with a night crawler. A few walleye can be caught on crankbaits and jigs tipped with a night crawler or minnow. On the upper portion of the Wapsipinicon River in Bremer County, northern pike fishing is very good using chubs fished under a bobber and/or casting chartreuse or white and silver spinner baits.

Big Woods Lake and East Lake (Black Hawk): Crappie fishing is improving in deeper water. Fish around structure such as submerged trees or drift a minnow under a bobber.

George Wyth and Mitchell Pit (Black Hawk): Fishing is good for largemouth bass in the early morning and late evening hours. At other times of the day, crankbaits or spinner baits can entice the bass to bite.

Lake Delhi (Delaware): Some crappies are being caught off of structure using minnows under a slip bobber or by casting jigs. Fishing is good for channel catfish on stink baits, dead minnows and night crawlers fished in the deeper pools later in the evening.

Lake Hendricks (Howard): The lake is starting to clear up after previously having a substantial green algae bloom. Channel catfish fishing has slowed, but some are still being caught in the evenings using chicken liver, stink bait, cut bait, or worms fished on the bottom. Fishing is fair for bluegills on wax worms or a piece of night crawler suspended under a bobber. Try using smaller gear when fishing midday to hook the finicky ones. Largemouth bass fishing is fair using plastic worms worked near structure or top-water lures in the evening.

Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Crappie and bluegill fishing is picking up. Anglers are having some success catching crappies using a small jig under a bobber and drifting across the lake. Those crappies seem to be suspended in 6 to 8 feet of water. Bluegills are being caught more frequently along the weed line using a worm and slip bobber. A few largemouth bass are being caught with top-water lures in the low-light hours. Try using plastic weed-less worms during other hours of the day. Catfishing has slowed, but a few can still be caught using chicken liver or dead chubs in the mornings and evenings. Try fishing these baits under a bobber due to the heavy vegetation.

Volga Lake (Fayette): Fishing is fair for channel catfish using night crawlers or liver on the bottom in the shallow bays. Largemouth bass fishing is good in the early morning and late evening hours. Use slower-moving artificial lures worked along structure. Bluegill fishing is fair using night crawlers under a bobber with many small fish.

Northeast Iowa Trout Streams: Water conditions and fishing are excellent on a number of streams. With streams clearing up, a more subtle approach will yield more fish. A lot of big browns are being caught right now using live bait hooked naturally with little or no weight.

For information on fishing in northeast Iowa, call the regional office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.

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Northwest

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Work the weed lines or rock reefs with crankbaits, or troll in deep water on the main lake for walleyes. Anglers are fishing the rock reefs and weed lines around Big Stoney, Little Stoney, Reeds Run, Cottonwood points or at the footbridge using live crawdads, crankbaits, jerk baits, or top-water lures in the evening for smallmouth bass. Bluegills are being caught drift fishing with a split shot and live bait along weed lines and rock piles. For yellow perch, fish the rock reef and weed line at Buffalo Run with live bait. Anglers are catching northern pike trolling or casting along weed lines and cabbage beds in the main lake or in Anglers Bay. Look for surfacing white bass in the evening while fishing with crankbaits. Largemouth bass are being caught along the weed lines or boat docks on soft plastics.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Look for surface feeding white bass early or late in the day and cast into schools with shallow running crankbaits, or use a jig and minnow around the bridges early and late in the day. For yellow bass, drift the weed lines and rock piles during the day to find fish then anchor and fish with live bait, or look for fish feeding on the surface early or late in the day. Anglers are catching channel catfish using stink-bait from shore around the bridges, or drift fishing from boat with cut-bait.

West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Work the docks or weed lines around Pillsbury Point or in Brown’s, North, Emerson and Miller’s bays for largemouth bass. Anglers are catching smallmouth bass fishing the deep rock reefs in Miller’s Bay, and Pocahontas, Fort Dodge, Pillsbury, and Gull points with soft plastics or crawdads. For bluegills, fish the drop-off between Fort Dodge and Pillsbury points with a split shot and live bait. Walleyes are being caught fishing the weed lines around Pillsbury Point, and Emerson and Miller’s bays with crankbaits in the evening or at night. For northern pike, troll crankbaits or cast along weed edges.

West Fork Des Moines River: Fish on the upstream side of brush piles with crawdads for channel catfish.

Little Sioux River: Fish around brush piles with stink bait or cut bait for channel catfish.

Lost Island Lake (Clay-Palo Alto): Anglers are catching walleyes drifting with live bait or trolling with crankbaits in the evening.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Fishing is good for catfish drifting cut chubs and shrimp. Water temperature is 72 degrees

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Fishing is good for catfish drifting cut chubs and shrimp.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Walleye fishing continues to be slow. Yellow bass fishing has been good. Yellow bass are starting to group up and if you find a school, stay with them. Try fishing around the Island and north towards Reely Point on the north shore. The reefs on the east end of the lake have also been producing a few yellows. Use night crawlers to catch your initial few fish then use some belly meat to continue catching yellows with greater success. White bass fishing has been good around the Island.

Bluebill Pond (Cerro Gordo): Bluegill fishing has been good near the weed edge. A few largemouth bass are biting on plastics.

Little Wall Lake (Hamilton): Channel Catfish are biting on liver and prepared baits.

Smith Lake (Kossuth): Bluegill fishing has been good using a piece of night crawler fished under a bobber.

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

 

Southwest

Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Largemouth bass fishing is fair for midsized fish near the flooded timber. A few channel catfish are being picked up using cut baits or liver.

Lake of Three Fires (Taylor): Several largemouth bass can be caught from structure or the edges of the lotus beds in 3 to 6 feet of water. Channel catfish can be caught from the shoreline in water 6 feet deep or less using cut baits.

Icaria (Adams): Channel catfish are being caught using cut bullheads through the evening hours. Largemouth bass are biting on crankbaits and spinners. Most of the fish are being caught near the tree piles. Bullheads are biting well on night crawlers. Water clarity is about 4 ½ feet at the dam.

Three Mile Lake (Union): Water clarity is about 3 feet at the dam and the upper end has a green algae bloom. Largemouth bass are being caught near structure or flooded timber. A few suspended crappies, wipers, and walleye can be caught from roadway between the ramps. Channel catfish have been picked up using cut baits near the mid-lake rock mounds.

Twelve Mile Lake (Union): Several mid-sized largemouth bass are being caught from the flooded timber in 4 to 10 feet of water using crankbaits or spinners. Anglers catch some small to mid-sized walleyes from the old road. Bullheads are biting well on night crawlers anywhere in the lake. Water clarity is at about 4 feet near the dam.

Green Valley (Union): The water level is drained down to 12 feet and will be held there through the fall and winter. Boating access is possible using the main ramp but not encouraged. Extreme care must be used during launching and loading. Water clarity is about 3 feet. Channel catfish angling has been spotty with varied results. Cut pieces of bluegills or bullheads seem to be the most successful. Some of the higher points or the face of the dam are easily accessible.

West Lake Osceola (Clarke): Several largemouth bass have been caught from the flooded trees just off-shore in about 6 feet of water.

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

Don Williams (Boone): Bass are still chasing schools of shad near the surface. Crappies are biting on jigs or minnows drifted or trolled in 5 to 10 feet of water in the middle of the lake. Most fish are being caught up from the bait shop boat ramp. Catfish are being caught on chicken liver and shrimp.

Big Creek (Polk): Suspended crappies are still being caught drifting jigs in 5 to 10 feet of water in the main lake.