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Top Iowa Fishing Spots for the Week of January 26.
This 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 at the phone number listed at the end of each district report.
Stay Where You Play
Make your next fishing trip an overnight stay. Take advantage of state park cabins and campgrounds near many of these bodies of water. Make your reservation now. For more information on availability and rates, visit iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com.
Arrowhead Lake
On Thursday, Jan. 26th, ice thickness was 9 inches. There is about 4
inches of snow with some slush on top of the ice. Conditions are more variable
next to shore and near inflows. Bluegill - Good: Use a wax worm on a small jig
fished near structure. Fish are up to 8-9 inches. Some sorting is required. Black
Crappie - Fair: Try a jig tipped with a wax worm fished in about 15-20 feet of
water. Fish up to 10.5 inches have been caught.
Bacon Creek
Lake
Approximately 1,500 rainbow trout will be stocked on February 4th at 1:30
p.m. Come and experience some great fishing at this event. Catch trout using a
variety of methods including: live minnow fished under a bobber, small tube and
twister jigs, in-line spinners, and casting spoons - anything shiny to grab the
trout’s attention.
Black Hawk Lake
On Thursday, Jan. 26th, ice thickness off Ice House Point boat ramp was
13 inches. Ice may be more variable next to shore. Ice is covered by about 4
inches of snow and an inch of slush. There is an area of open water in the
middle of the east basin. The winter aeration system is in operation so expect
thin ice and open water in Town Bay. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are catching some
bluegill up to 8 inches, mostly around the Gunshot Hill and Ice House Point
areas with a small jig tipped with a wax worm. Anglers are marking lots of
fish. Walleye - Fair: Try around Ice House Point and out from Gunshot Hill. Use
a minnow head on a jigging spoon during low light hours. Try also the dredge
cuts by Denison Beach and Lakewood Point areas.
Black Hawk
Pits
On Thursday, Jan. 26th, there was 6 inches of good ice covered by about 3
inches of snow and slush. Ice is variable, especially along shore so use
caution if going out.
Brushy Creek
Lake
Ice is variable on Brushy Creek Lake, especially near shore and areas of
inflows. Expect some open areas near flooded timber and near shore. Use extreme
caution and test ice thickness often when venturing out. Bluegill - Fair: Use a
small jig tipped with a wax worm. Black Crappie - Fair: Try wax worms and
minnows fished on a small jig.
Moorland Pond
Approximately 1,500 rainbow trout were stocked on Jan. 20th. Fishing was
excellent during the stocking event. Fishing remains good for days and even
weeks after the event. Use live minnows fished under a bobber. Try also small
tube and twister jigs, in-line spinners and casting spoons.
Storm Lake
(including Little Storm Lake)
Ice thickness is around 14-15 inches. Yellow Perch - Fair: Use wax worms
and minnows fished on a jig in 5-8 feet of water. White Bass - Fair: Try
fishing minnow heads on a jigging spoon. Walleye - Fair: Use minnow heads or
whole minnows on jigging spoons, jigging raps, and rattle spoons. Fish during
low light hours. Try in areas 5-10 feet deep. If no luck at that depth, try in
the lower light conditions of the dredge cuts. Black Crappie - Fair: Fish are
suspended; use a jig tipped with a wax worm or a minnow. Low light hours have
been more productive.
As of Jan. 26th, ice conditions are variable due to
recent warmer temperatures and rain. There are thin spots near shore in some
areas and several inches of slush on top of the ice. Most lakes in the district
still have 5 to 14 inches of ice under the snow and slush. Use caution and test
ice depths often. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Blue Pit
Rainbow Trout - Good: Use small jigs tipped with bait or small jigging
spoons. You may have to try several locations, but the action is fast once the
fish are found.
Bluebill Lake
Ice thickness is 16-18 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Use wax worms. Largemouth
Bass - Fair: Try minnows fished in 12-16 feet of water.
Clear Lake
Ice thickness is 18-20 inches on most of the little lake and 17-19 inches
on the main lake. There is 11 to 12 inches of snow on most of the lake which
can make travel difficult. The best bite is early morning and around 4:00 p.m.
to dark. Catch bluegills and crappies near the rushes by the west aeration
system. Yellows are still biting in 8 to 10 feet of water; you have to move to
stay on fish. Yellow Bass - Good: Use wax worms and spikes fished near the
bottom in 8-10 feet of water. Try near the Farmers Beach area. Walleye - Fair: Try
jigs tipped with minnows or jigging rap. Most are less than 14 inches, but a
few keepers are being caught. Black Crappie - Fair: The best crappie bite is at
first light. Yellow Perch – Fair.
Crystal Lake
Ice thickness is 16 to 18 inches. Catch bluegills and crappies near the
dredge cut. Bluegill - Good: Catch 6.5 to 7.5 inch bluegills on small jigs tipped
with wax worm or spikes. Black Crappie - Good: Catch 8 to 9.5 inch crappies with
small jigging spoons.
Elm Lake
Ice thickness is 16 inches. Yellow Perch - Good: Perch are biting; lots
of smaller fish being caught with a few keepers.
Lake Smith
Ice thickness is 16 inches. Bluegill - Good: Use wax worms.
Rice Lake
Ice thickness is 18-20 inches. With the clear water, the best bite is the
last hour of light. Walleye - Fair: Use jigging spoons tipped with a minnow
head. Yellow Perch - Fair: Try small jigs tipped with live bait.
Silver Lake
(Worth)
Ice thickness is 18-20 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs tipped
with spikes. Yellow Perch - Fair: Try small jigging spoons and jigs tipped with
bait.
For information in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish
and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
Center Lake
Aerators are currently in use on Center Lake so avoid areas with open
water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas.
East Okoboji Lake
Reports of good walleye and yellow bass activity on the south side of the
lake near Parks Marina. Anglers are reeling in panfish on the very north end of
the lake. Walleye - Fair: Try to get on
the edge of the weed lines in about 10-12 feet of water. Yellow Bass - Good:
Yellow bass are being caught on the south basin of the lake. Yellow Perch -
Good: A lot of small perch have been getting caught on the north end of the
lake.
Five Island
Lake
Aerators are currently in use on Five Island Lake so avoid areas with
open water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas. The
fishing has been good near the north boat ramp. Black Crappie - Fair: A few
black crappies have been reported, but they are not eager to bite. Channel
Catfish - Good: Reports of channel catfish being caught. Yellow Bass - Good
Catch lots of yellow bass on Five Island Lake.
Ingham Lake
Aerators are currently in use on Ingham Lake so avoid areas with open
water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas.
Lost Island
Lake
Yellow Bass - Good: Catch a good number of yellow bass in the Stony Point
area on Lost Island Lake. Bluegill - Fair: Reports of a few bluegill being
caught. Black Crappie - Fair Reports of a few crappie being
caught.
Silver Lake
(Dickinson)
Aerators are currently in use on Silver Lake so avoid areas with open
water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas.
Silver Lake
(Palo Alto)
The fish have been very active on Silver Lake. Yellow Perch - Good: Catch
lots of 12 inch perch. Black Crappie - Good: Catch lots of large crappies all
over the lake.
Spirit Lake
The ice on Big Spirit is sturdy with people driving on at most locations.
The most fish are being reported up north off of Mini-Wakan and off the east
side just north of Sunset Park. Yellow
Perch - Slow: Perch are hard to find right now; you may need to move around. Walleye - Fair: Dusk is the best time to find
walleye. Try on the north end and on the rock beds on the east side of the
lake.
West Okoboji Lake
Perch, crappies and bluegill fishing continues to be good on West Okoboji.
The fish are hanging out in about 12-15 feet of water right outside of the weed
beds. Bluegill - Excellent: Bluegill continue to show a lot of activity in
Little Millers Bay. Yellow Perch - Excellent: Perch are active in about 12 feet
of water. They are hanging tight to the weed edges. Black Crappie - Excellent: Crappies
have shown good activity in Little Millers Bay.
The fishing on the Iowa Great Lakes has been good
over the past week. Use caution when going out as the large snow fall has
created a lot of slush on top of the ice making it very easy to get stuck when
driving on. The snow adds a lot of weight to the ice making weaker areas more
abundant. For
more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at
712-336-1840.
Cedar River (above Nashua)
Use extreme caution when going on river ice and check ice depths often. With
recent rain and snowfall events, water levels are jumping around causing
unstable ice conditions. Ice jams have also been causing problems.
Decorah District Streams
Urban catchable trout stocking is in full swing. Check our webpage for
dates and locations. Streams are in good condition but flows are up. Gravel
roads in our area are in poor condition due to recent snowfall. There is 8 to
10 inches of snow on the ground. Brook Trout - Good: Use flies or lures that
look like sculpins, dace or suckers. Brown Trout - Good: Anglers have had
success using a nymph rig with a scud dropper but most fish were hitting wet
flies. Rainbow Trout - Good: Use black fly midge or hares ear wet flies in the
riffles. Slowly pull a black bead head fly with a yellow scud dropper through
the upper and lower ends of pools for trout in deeper water.
Lake Hendricks
All parking lots are now open. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the
ice. The aerator is on so be careful; there is open water around it. Ice depths
are 8-10 inches with 10 inches of heavy snow on top. Bluegill - Slow: Use small
brightly colored jigs tipped with a spike. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Try a small
spinner tipped with a wax worm. Black Crappie - Slow: Use small brightly
colored jig tipped with a wax worm suspended in the water column.
Lake Meyer
Lake Meyer currently has 12 inches of ice, but it much decrease with predicted
rain and warm temperatures. The edges may get soft. Water clarity has decreased
with about 5 feet of visibility. Fish activity has been variable; move around
to find fish. Midday bite has been best. Bluegill - Slow: Use a jig tipped with
wax worm or red or white spike. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Anglers are seeing fish
on cameras; a few have taken a jig tipped with wax worms. Black Crappie - Slow:
Crappies are sitting higher off the bottom and are being more finicky.
Turkey River
(above Clermont)
Use extreme caution when going out on the Vernon Spring impoundment. There
are areas of open water. River water levels are fluctuating due to recent rain
and snow fall events. Check ice depths often. Ice depths vary greatly in areas
with varying flows. Black Crappie -
Slow: Find crappie around downed trees and submerged logs out of the current. Use
a jig tipped with a wax worm. Walleye - Slow: Find walleye in the deeper holes
around current breaks.
Volga Lake
Volga Lake is reporting 8 inches of ice with 7 inches of new snow on top.
Ice is getting a bit poky with freeze thaw cycles. Fish activity is best around
early to mid-morning. Bluegill - Slow: Use small brightly colored jigs tipped
with a wax worm. Find fish along the dam and universal access dock. Black
Crappie - Slow: Find crappies suspended in deeper water late season.
Winter is back with daytime temperatures below
freezing through the weekend. Most of the northern counties in our area
received 8 inches of heavy, wet snow. Use extreme caution when going out on the
ice. Check ice depths often especially where there is current or springs. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery
at 563-382-8324.
Casey Lake
(aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Reports of anglers catching bluegill yet on Casey Lake. Bluegill - Fair:
Concentrate near structure towards the dam portion of the lake.
South Prairie
Lake
Reports of anglers catching bluegill yet on South Prairie Lake. Bluegill
- Fair: Look for past angler activity on where may be the best place to fish.
Angling reports have been few as the recent snowstorm slowed both angler
and fish activity. Use extreme caution on all lakes as ice conditions vary from
lake to lake. Anglers are still taking some bluegill from area lakes in Black
Hawk County. Interior rivers remain partially iced over and are up from recent
rain and snowfall. Trout streams are in excellent condition, contact the N.E.
District Office at 563-927-3276 for more information.
Mississippi River Pool 9
River level has risen to 9.5 feet at Lansing and is expected to rise
slowly over the next week. Most quiet back waters have 10 -12 inches of ice. The
forecast for rain and above freezing temperatures at night over the next few days
and rising water can deteriorate ice. Use caution along shorelines and any
areas that may have current. Bluegill - Good: Fishing for bluegills remains
good but can be hit or miss at times with sorting of smaller fish. Shore
slough, Phillippi and Village Creek remain popular areas. Yellow Perch - Fair:
Anglers are catching a few perch through the ice along vegetation beds in
deeper backwater cuts. Largemouth Bass - Good: Fish minnows under tip-ups in
backwater areas and marina areas with no current.
Mississippi River Pool 10
River level is up several feet at 19.1 feet at Lynxville and is expected
to rise over the next week. Most quiet back waters have 10 -12 inches of ice. The
forecast for rain and above freezing temperatures at night over the next few days
and rising water can deteriorate ice. Use caution along shorelines and any
areas that may have current. Bluegill - Good: Fishing for bluegills remains
good but can be hit or miss at times with sorting of smaller fish. Norwegian
Lake in Sny Magill and Greymore Lake by Prairie Du Chien are popular areas for
ice anglers. Yellow Perch - Fair: Anglers are catching a few perch through the
ice along vegetation beds in deeper backwater cuts. Largemouth Bass - Fair:
Fish minnows under tip-ups in backwater areas and marina areas with no current.
Mississippi River Pool 11
River level is 11.2 feet at Guttenberg and is expected to rise over the
next week. The gates are up at the Lock and Dam this week. Most quiet back
waters have 10 -12 inches of ice. The forecast for rain and above freezing
temperatures at night over the next few days and rising water can deteriorate
ice. Use caution along shorelines and any areas that may have current. The boat
ramps in Guttenberg remain blocked with ice. Yellow Perch - Fair: Anglers are
catching a few perch through the ice along vegetation beds in deeper backwater
cuts. Bluegill - Good: Fishing for bluegills remains good but can be hit or
miss at times with sorting of smaller fish. Fishing remains popular in the
Sunfish Lake and Zollikoffer Slough at Mud Lake. Largemouth Bass - Good: Fish
minnows under tip-ups in backwater areas and marina areas with no current.
Upper Mississippi River levels are on the rise again in the Upper
Mississippi Pools 9-11. Most quiet back waters have 10 -12 inches of ice. The
forecast for rain and above freezing temperatures at night over the next few days
and rising water can deteriorate ice. Use caution along shorelines and any
areas that may have current. Ice conditions are very slick with standing water
on the ice; ice cleats are strongly recommended.
Mississippi River Pool 12
The water level is near 10.3 feet at Dubuque tailwater and near 12.6 feet
at the RR bridge. These levels are going back up this week. Edge ice is bad and
ice quality is deteriorating, but some ice fishing is still taking place. Be
careful and know your ice fishing safety rules. Hawthorne Street ramp still had
ice in front of it but that could change soon. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are numerous
but smaller this ice fishing season. Yellow Perch - Good: Good sized yellow
perch have been consistently reported by ice anglers this year. Largemouth Bass
- Good: Lots of bass are being reported from most backwaters. Bass bite has
been aggressive in some areas and sometimes it dominates the catch.
Mississippi River Pool 13
The water level is near 10.3 feet at Bellevue. This is nearly the same as
last week, but water level is raising. The tailwater is still mostly open but
an ice flow could occur at any time. As of now the ramp is open with lots of
anglers. Walleye - Good: Good walleye
and sauger angling was reported. Anglers
are mostly using some sort of minnow rig. Sauger - Good: Use jig and minnow.
Mississippi River Pool 14
The water level is near 9.3 feet at Fulton, 12.6 feet at Camanche and 7.0
feet at Le Claire. Water levels are on the rise again this week. Poor ice
conditions were reported throughout Pool 14.
Mississippi River Pool 15
The water level is 10.3 feet at Rock Island, which is up from last week. Water
will be rising again this week. No fishing was reported in Pool 15. Ice fishing
in Pool 15 is limited and takes place in Marina areas; poor ice conditions
exist in most locations.
Ice fishing conditions have deteriorated this week
with the rising river and rain. Some ice fishing is still taking place but
mostly by people with air boats. The Mississippi River is still unusually high
for this time of year and will raise again this week. If you have any angling questions, please contact the Bellevue
Fisheries Station 563-872-4976.
Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage is 10.13 feet at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities and
rising. The Marquette St. ramp is open. Walleye and sauger fishing is being
reported as slow. There are unsafe ice conditions with the recent rains, warm
weather and rising river levels. Sauger - Slow: Fishing for saugers has been
slow below the dam and in Sylvan Slough. Walleye – Slow.
Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage is 9.41 feet at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine and is
forecasted to rise. The boat ramps in Muscatine are open. Some flow ice was coming
down the channel Wednesday morning. Tailwater fishing for walleye and saugers
has been slow. There are unsafe ice conditions with the warmer weather, recent
rains and rising river levels. Sauger - Slow: Tailwater fishing for saugers
below Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine has been slow. Walleye - Slow: Walleye
fishing below the dam in Muscatine is slow.
Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 11.53 feet at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston and is rising.
The gates at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston are out of the water. We have not
received any tailwater fishing reports for walleye and sauger. There are unsafe
ice conditions with the warmer weather, recent rains and rising river levels.
Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 8.04 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and is forecasted
to rise. We have not received any fishing reports for this pool this week with
the high water conditions. There are unsafe ice conditions with the recent high
water and warmer weather.
River stages are forecasted to rise throughout the
weekend. Tailwater fishing for walleyes and saugers has been slow. There are
unsafe ice conditions with the warmer weather, recent rains and rising river
levels. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.
Big Hollow
Lake
Unsafe ice conditions.
Lake Belva
Deer
Unsafe ice conditions.
Lake Darling
Unsafe ice conditions. Edges are open water; the goose hole in the middle
of the lake is about 40-50 acres of open water and the rest of the ice looks
more like slush than ice.
Lake Geode
Unsafe ice conditions.
For more information on the above lakes, contact the Lake Darling
Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.
Coralville
Reservoir
The lake is holding at normal winter pool. The ice is unsafe and there
are many areas of open water.
Diamond Lake
Ice fishing is not recommended; there is a lot of water around the
shorelines. The ice fishing derby scheduled for Jan. 28th has been cancelled.
Hannen Lake
The ice is reported as being poor; ice fishing is not recommended.
Lake Macbride
A few anglers are still out on the ice. Shorelines are poor in many areas;
there are a number of expanses of open water and the remaining ice is extremely
variable. Ice fishing is not recommended for anglers not extremely familiar
with the lake.
Otter Creek
Lake
Ice fishing is not recommended; there hasn’t been any fishing activity.
Pleasant Creek Lake
The lake is currently down 13' for the restoration project. Most of the
lake has 8 inches of ice, but the shorelines are poor. Use caution if venturing
out. Bluegill - Fair: Quite a few bluegills are being caught along the dam on
waxies. Size has been marginal but you can sort some keepers out. Yellow Perch
- Slow: Use a jig/waxie and small spoon/minnow head. Walleye - Fair: Most fish
are small. Try a spoon or jigging rap tipped with a minnow head in 20-25 feet
of water. Black Crappie - Slow: Use a jig/waxie around deeper brush. White Bass
- Slow: Try spoons or jigging raps tipped with minnows.
Many areas are unsafe or marginal at best. Use
extreme caution and check ice often if venturing out.For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Lake Keomah
The warmer temperatures last week deteriorated the ice. There is open
water and the ice has started to deteriorate along the shorelines.
Lake Miss (Tug
Fork W)
The ice has deteriorated since last week and there is water on top of the
ice. The ice along the shorelines has started melting.
Lake Sugema
Ice conditions have deteriorated since last week. The lake has quite a
bit of open water due to geese keeping some areas open and the wind after the
warm temperatures and rain.
Lake Wapello
The ice has deteriorated since last week and the lake still has open
water in front of the lodge and the beach area. There is also water on top of
the ice.
Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 904.68 msl. Normal operating elevation is 904.0
msl. Lake Rathbun contains zebra mussels so make sure to properly drain, clean,
and dry equipment before transporting to another water body. The lake has open
water in the main lake and the ice has melted along the shorelines. Conditions
have deteriorated since last week.
Red Haw Lake
Ice conditions have deteriorated since last week. The lake has open water
by the dam and beach area and around the shorelines.
Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about
fishing in south central Iowa.
Ada Hayden
Heritage Park Lake
Rainbow Trout - No Report: The next trout stocking will be Saturday, Feb.
4th at noon pending good ice conditions. A decision will be made early in the
week of Jan. 30th.
Beaver Lake
Bluegill - Good: Start in the standing trees mid lake or on the edge of
the deepest water on the northeast part of the lake. Black Crappie - Fair:
Anglers fishing in the trees for bluegills are picking up some crappie as well.
There is a group of 9.5 to 10.5 inch crappies.
Big Creek Lake
Bluegill - Slow: A few decent gills are being caught fishing the brush
piles at the mouths of the bays. Black Crappie - Slow: Find 9-11 inch crappies
on brush piles in the main lake and suspended in the evenings off the creek
channel mid-lake.
Dakins Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Ice anglers are finding good bluegill fishing throughout
the lake. The most popular area to start out is within the flooded timber, but
there are other structures holding fish shown on maps at some of the access
points.
Don Williams
Lake
Black Crappie - Good: Use wax worms or minnows. Target the mid-lake
section at depths of 15-25 feet; schools of crappie are moving through
suspended.
Hickory Grove
Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill fishing has been fair to slow this ice season. Anglers
are picking up some up on brush and pallet piles throughout the lake at depths
greater than 10 feet.
Lake
Petocka
Rainbow Trout - No Report: The trout stocking for this Saturday, Jan.
28th has been postponed due to inadequate ice conditions for a large crowd. When
a new stocking date is decided it will be announced.
Mariposa
Lake
Bluegill - Good: Catch good numbers of 7 to 8 inch bluegills. Concentrate
on the lower half of the lake.
As of Thursday, Jan. 26th, central Iowa
ice conditions remain variable due to recent thawing. There are thin spots
along the shorelines. Once on, lakes and ponds have from 5 to 10 inches of ice,
with the lesser amounts south if I80. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823.
Cold Springs
District Farm Ponds
There are ponds in the southern part of the district that are not safe to
fish. Always get permission when fishing privately owned ponds. Bluegill –
Good. Black Crappie – Slow. White Crappie – Fair.
Greenfield Lake
Greenfield has a large amount of open water around the solar B units. This
open water may refreeze but it is unsafe. Use extreme caution and stay 150 to
200 feet away from solar B's in all directions. The ice is beginning to
deteriorate around the shoreline. Black Crappie – Slow. Bluegill - Fair: Catch
bluegills averaging 8 inches in flats next to the creek channel.
Hacklebarney
East
Hacklebarney East has a small population of large black crappie. The lake
also supports good numbers of 8 inch bluegill. Bluegill - Good: Find 8 inch
bluegills in the upper end of the lake in tree piles. Black Crappie - Slow:
Anglers are catching a few large black crappies in 30 feet of water.
Lake Anita
Lake Anita will provide good panfishing this winter. Find a large crappie
population in the lake averaging 9 inches and bluegills up to 9.5 inches. Geese
have a large area of open water around the beach. Bluegill - Fair: Catch larger
size bluegills in the campground arm of the lake. The north road bed has been
good in the afternoon. Black Crappie - Good: Use small spoons and glow in the
dark jigs with wax worms. Fish will average 9 inches. The best bite is from
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Littlefield
Lake
Littlefield lake has quality size black crappies and bluegill. Target
winter fish around the cedar tree piles placed in the lake. Bluegill - Good:
Anglers report having to sort through many small bluegills for the 9 plus inch
fish. Fish are concentrated around cedar tree piles. Black Crappie - Slow: A
few large black crappies are being picked up around the cedar tree piles at dark.
Fish are 10 to 12 inches.
Nodaway Lake
Fisheries samples in 2016 showed good numbers of 8 to 11 inch crappies.
Bluegills will average 8 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Catch bluegills averaging 8
inches around underwater trees that are in 12 to 14 feet of water. Black
Crappie - Slow: A few crappies are being caught around underwater trees. Late
afternoon bite is best. Fish will average 10 inches.
Orient Lake
Warm weather and rain has deteriorated the ice around the shoreline. Use
caution getting on the ice. Orient has a good population of 9 to 10 inch
crappies. The lake will be a good ice fishing destination this winter. Bluegill
- Good: Catch 7 to 8 inch bluegills around cedar tree piles. Black Crappie -
Fair: Catch crappies averaging 10 inches early morning or last hour before dark.
Use glow in the dark jigs with wax worms or minnow heads.
Prairie Rose Lake
Expect to catch quality size bluegills again this winter at Prairie Rose.
The crappies stocked by DNR personnel are 7 to 8 inches at this time. Bluegill
- Fair: Anglers report catching 8 to 9 inch bluegill near the dam and out from
the pump house. The late afternoon bite has been best.
Ice conditions are variable in the southwest
district. There is open water around the shoreline and in the upper ends of
lakes in the southern part of the district. Check ice often and stay away from
dark colored ice. Most angler reports show 5 to 10 inches around the district. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587.
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