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Fall fishing is one of Iowa's best kept secrets.
The
air is cool, the views are picturesque and the fish are pulling out of their
late summer slumber.
Add one of these destinations to your fall fishing itinerary.
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Clear Lake, Cerro
Gordo County - yellow bass fishing is excellent in the fall. Use small
jigs tipped with nightcrawler, minnows and cut bait. Stay on the move to find
schools of fish. The average size yellow bass is 9 inches. A
number of Master
Angler qualifying yellow bass (10 inches) are available to catch this
fall.
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Coralville
Reservoir, Johnson County – fall bite is best for walleyes and white bass
here; throw crankbaits on sloping rock banks. Catch crappies near brush or
steeper rock banks on jigs or minnows.
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Don
Williams Lake, Boone County - a strong black crappie population welcomes
anglers. Drift the middle of the lake
with small jigs in early fall. Fish will move to structure in late fall –
quickly locate structure in the lake with the printable
fishing structures map.
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Lake
Anita, Cass County and Viking
Lake, Montgomery County - try
around the numerous brush piles for largemouth bass over 20 inches. Fishing
will heat up as the water temperature drops this fall.
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Lake
Iowa, Iowa County – use small jigs or worms around brush piles or along
weed edges to catch bluegills up to 9 inches and redear sunfish up to 12 inches.
Catch 9-11 inch black crappies around brush on jigs or minnows.
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Macbride, Johnson County - catch 13-20 inch walleyes, with much larger fish
available; troll crankbaits or cast jigs to rock reefs and humps in 8-15 feet
of water. Cast jigs or minnows
around/over the brush piles for 10-12 inch crappies. Wiper fishing picks up in
the fall; try crankbaits and swim baits fished off points and rock reef edges
for 14-28 inch wipers.
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Lake
Manawa, Pottawattamie County
- a fall trip has the potential to put a trophy walleye or wiper on the
line. Use twister tails or shad raps on the rocks lining the west shore
of the lake for walleyes. Wipers tend to hang out on the north shore near
the inlet.
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Mississippi
River - fall smallmouth bass fishing can be
fantastic. Cast close to rock piles or rocky shoreline with current; smallmouths
often hide in rock crevices and rarely venture more than a foot from the rocks
to feed. Locate where tributary streams
enter the Mississippi River with electronic
printable river maps. Find
rock lines and piles near the confluence of these rivers starting in late
September, early October for a hot bite.
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Urban Trout
Lakes - unique trout fishing
opportunities for novice and young anglers across the state. Visit iowadnr.gov/ trout for
a list of urban trout lakes and when each will be stocked. Watch the fish being
stocked and attempt to catch your first trout.
A complete list of places to fall fish in Iowa including lake maps, directions and amenities, is available on the DNR Places to Fish webpage. Check conditions before you go with the weekly Iowa Fishing Report.
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