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Top Iowa Fishing Spots for the Week of February 23.
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.
Black Hawk Lake
Black Hawk Lake is ice free. Bluegill - Good: Catch good numbers of
bluegill from shore, especially from the stone piers in Town Bay. Use small
tube jigs or hair jigs tipped with bait fished under a bobber. Most fish are 6.5-7.5
inches. Channel Catfish - Fair: After ice out is a good time to catch catfish
from shore. Use cut bait and stink bait at Ice House Point, Lakewood Point
area, the rock pile north of Cottonwood Point, and the east shore near the
outlet. Black Crappie - Fair: Use small jigs fished under a bobber during low
light conditions.
Black Hawk
Pits
Black Hawk Pits are ice free.
Storm Lake
(including Little Storm Lake)
Any remaining ice is unsafe for travel. After ice out is a good time to catch
catfish from shore using stink bait and cut bait.
Ice fishing has ended. Most lakes in western Iowa
are ice free. Any remaining ice is unsafe. There are some angler reports of
good panfish and catfish fishing from shore after ice-out. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Clear Lake
The rain and warm weather the last several days has deteriorated the ice
to an unsafe condition.
Winnebago River
Northern Pike - Good: The river came up a few feet this week and slowed
the bite some. Try fishing below the dams with live chubs.
With rain and warm weather this week, the ice has really
deteriorated and is considered unsafe. For information in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish
and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
Center Lake
The ice conditions on Center Lake are very poor with a large area of open
water on the east side of the lake.
East Okoboji Lake
The north end of East Lake has poor ice conditions with open water at the
highway nine boat ramp. The south end of the lake also has many spots of open
water including an area at the Hattie Elston access. Due to the poor ice
conditions, ice fishing is not advised on East Okoboji at this time. The Iowa Great Lakes walleye season is closed until
May 6th.
Little Sioux
River (state line to Linn Grove)
Anglers have reported catching some northern pike and yellow perch in the
rivers.
Silver Lake
(Dickinson)
Ice fishing is not advised at this time as the ice
conditions are very poor.
Spirit Lake
The ice on Big Spirit has deteriorated greatly along the shoreline making
access to the lake difficult. With the lake refreezing the accesses should
patch up, but the ice conditions will still be variable; use caution when
venturing out. The Iowa Great Lakes walleye season is closed until May 6th.
West Okoboji Lake
The fishing on West Okoboji has slowed with the increase in temperature.
The ice has turned dark and is deteriorating quickly. The Iowa Great Lakes walleye
season is closed until May 6th.
Ice conditions deteriorated greatly over the past
week as the temperature rose into the mid-fifties. Some of the accesses should firm
back with the cold spell coming here in the next couple days, making it
possible to get back on the ice. If you go out on the ice after we have some
refreezing, use caution as there will likely be spots of weaker ice. For
more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at
712-336-1840.
Cedar River (above Nashua)
The Cedar River is ice free. Water levels are falling after the majority
of snow melted earlier in the week. Water clarity is poor. Gaging stations are
now operational Visit the USGS
Current Water Data website for more information.
Decorah District Streams
Streams are in fair condition, but flows remain high. Rain/snow will turn
streams off color, but streams with better water quality will clear quicker. Gravel
roads are beginning to get soft as the frost goes out. Decent hatches of caddis
flies and midges have been occurring with the recent spring-like weather. A few
early stonefly hatches have also been noticed. Brook Trout - Fair: Use flies or
lures that look like sculpins, dace or suckers. Brown Trout - Good: Fishing
when the water turns off color from run-off will turn the browns on. Try
critters imitating small caddis fly larvae or gnats hatching off the water. Rainbow
Trout - Fair: Black fly midge or hares ear wet flies are attracting bows fished
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
Ice fishing is not recommended at this time.
Lake Meyer
Ice fishing is not recommended at this time.
Turkey River
(above Clermont)
The Turkey River is ice free. Water levels are falling, but the river
remains up. Water clarity is poor. Forecast rain/snow amount will dictate river
conditions for the next several days.
Upper Iowa
River (above Decorah)
The Upper Iowa River is ice free. Water levels are falling after the
majority of snow melted earlier in the week. Water clarity is poor. Gaging
stations are now operational. Visit the USGS Current Water Data website
for more information. Walleye - Slow: Anglers were catching a few walleye below
lower dam before the snowmelt.
Volga Lake
Ice fishing is not recommended at this time.
Winter is back in the northeast corner of the state.
Snow/rain, potentially heavy depending on where the front goes, may impact many
areas this weekend. Check Iowa 511 for road
conditions. Many area rivers are swollen and dirty with snowmelt. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery
at 563-382-8324.
Cedar River
(Nashua to La Porte City)
The Cedar River is currently high and dirty.
Shell Rock
River (Greene to Shell Rock)
The Shell Rock is currently high and dirty. No good fishing reports for
this week.
Wapsipinicon River
(Tripoli to Troy Mills)
There have been no reports for the Wapsipinicon River this week.
Ice fishing is officially over. Interior rivers are
currently high and dirty from recent snow melts. Area trout streams are in excellent condition, contact the N.E.
District Office at 563-927-3276 for more information.
Mississippi River Pool 9
River levels at Lansing have risen to 9.4 feet this week and are expected
to reach 12.2 feet over the next week. Ice conditions have deteriorated fast
this week. Army road at New Albin is expected to be under water. Walleye -
Fair: Walleye fishing is occurring in the tailwaters and over closing dams, but
may be more difficult with the high water and current. Sauger - Good: The
sauger bite has been good vertical jigging in tailwater areas; the high water
may create some challenges.
Mississippi River Pool 10
River levels at Lynxville have risen several feet to 18.5 with levels
predicted to reach 22.4 feet this week. The boat ramp is open at Lynxville. Lock
gates are expected to be opened. Walleye - Fair: Walleye fishing is occurring
in the tailwaters and over closing dams, but may be more difficult with the
high water and current. Sauger - Good: The sauger bite has been good vertical
jigging in tailwater areas; the high water may create some challenges.
Mississippi River Pool 11
River levels at Guttenberg have risen several feet to 10.4 with levels
predicted to reach 14.3 feet next week. Lock gates are up at Lock and Dam 10. The
boat ramps are free of ice and open. Walleye - Fair: Walleye fishing is
occurring in the tailwaters and over closing dams, but may be more difficult with
the high water and current. Sauger - Good: The sauger bite has been good
vertical jigging in tailwater areas; the high water may create some challenges.
Upper Mississippi River levels are rising with recent snow melt coming
down. Water is expected to rise another 3-4 feet. Backwater ice has
deteriorated with warm weather and high water. Ice fishing is not recommended
at this time.
Mississippi River Pool 12
The water level is 9.3 feet at the Dubuque tailwater and near 11.5 feet
at the RR bridge. Levels are expected to rise fast all week. Levels may
approach minor flooding stages. Ice is gone from backwaters for the most part. Tailwater angling is generally wide open with
a few smaller ice flows limiting angling.
Sauger - Fair: Some tailwater angling is taking place. Anglers are
rating tailwater fishing from fair to good with most anglers using a minnow
rig. Walleye - Good: Walleye tailwater angling is underway. A gig and minnow
rig is probably the most common rig.
Mississippi River Pool 13
The water level is near 10.2 feet at Bellevue. This is up from last week
and will rise much further. Expect water levels to go up at least four feet
next week. The tailwaters ramps are wide open and ice flows have stopped. Walleye
- Fair: High water levels and water level changes are limiting catching walleye
a bit. Sauger - Fair: Use a minnow rig. Yellow Perch - Fair: A few nice yellow
perch have been caught in the shallow waters in the tailwaters and mouths of
tributary streams. Dead minnows work best.
Mississippi River Pool 14
The water level is near 8.9 feet at Fulton, 12.1 feet at Camanche and 6.5
feet at Le Claire. Water levels are once again rising this week. Expect the
water to rise nearly 4 feet. Some tailwater angling is underway, but not much
has been reported. High water is making it tougher to find walleyes and sauger.
Mississippi River Pool 15
The water level is 8.9 feet at Rock Island and is rising. The water is
expected to rise to 14.3 feet by the end of next week. No angling was reported to us.
Ice fishing is officially done with this report; ice
is nearly gone from backwaters in Pools 12 to 15. The Mississippi River is
still unusually high for this time of year, and is expected to rise this week. Main
channel water temperature is 39 degrees. If you have any angling questions, please contact the Bellevue
Fisheries Station 563-872-4976.
Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage is 8.48 feet at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities and is
forecasted to reach 12.1 feet by early next week. The Marquette St. ramp is
open. Unsafe ice conditions in the backwaters. Sauger - Fair: Some saugers are
being caught in Sylvan Slough. Try fishing with three-way rigs with stick baits
or vertical jigging with minnows. Walleye - Slow: Some smaller walleyes are
being caught in Sylvan Slough. Try vertical jigging with minnows or trolling
three-way rigs with minnows or stick baits.
Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage is 6.97 feet at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine and is forecasted
to rise over the weekend. River stage is forecasted to reach 10.9 feet by early
next week. The boat ramps in Muscatine are open. Some walleyes and saugers are
being caught below the dam. The rising river level could slow down the walleye
and sauger bite below the dam. Unsafe ice conditions in the backwaters. Sauger
- Fair: A few saugers are being caught below lock and dam 16 in Muscatine. Try
vertical jigging with minnows or trolling three-way rigs with minnows or stick
baits. Walleye - Fair: Some walleyes are being caught below the dam in
Muscatine. Try vertical jigging with minnows or pulling three-way rigs with
minnows or stick baits.
Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 8.85 feet at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston and is forecasted
to reach 12.2 feet by the end of the weekend/early next week. The toolsboro
ramp is currently open. The gates at the dam are being reported as out of the
water. Tailwater fishing has been slow with the higher water levels. Unsafe ice
conditions in the backwaters. Sauger - Slow: Fishing has been slow with the
higher water levels. Walleye - Slow: Walleye fishing has been slow with the
higher water levels.
Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 5.71 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and is
forecasted to reach 7.9 feet. Some saugers and walleyes were being caught below
the dam, but the rising rivers levels may change the bite. There are unsafe ice
conditions in the backwaters. Sauger - Fair: Try vertical jigging with minnows
or trolling three-way rigs with minnows. Walleye - Fair: Some walleyes were
being caught below the dam. Try vertical jigging with minnows or pulling
three-way rigs with minnows.
River stages are forecasted to rise over the
weekend. Some walleyes and saugers were being caught below the dams this past
weekend. The rising river levels may slow down the walleye and sauger bite
below the dams. Main channel water temperature has been around 41 degrees.
Unsafe ice conditions in the backwaters. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.
Big Hollow
Lake
The lake is ice free.
Lake Belva
Deer
The lake is ice free. A few boats
have been out on the lake, but not much effort has been made to catch fish.
Lake Darling
The final ice in the lake melted last Saturday. A few boats have been out
on the water to enjoy the 75 degree weather. Docks are not in yet.
Lake Geode
The lake is ice free. Docks are not in yet.
For more information on the above lakes, contact the Lake Darling
Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.
Cedar River
(La Porte City to Cedar Rapids)
The river is rising. Walleye - Slow: A few walleyes were caught in Benton
County over the past week, but rising water may put a stop to catches now.
Coralville
Reservoir
The lake is ice free and the water level is at 683.4' as of Feb. 23, but
it is starting to be lowered to spring pool. It is predicted to reach 679.4' on
March 9th. At that level, boating above Bobber's Grill is difficult to
impossible for most boats. Channel Catfish - Slow: A few catfish are being
caught on shad guts at the 965/380 bridges.
Diamond Lake
The lake is ice free. Anglers have been out but fishing has been slow.
Hannen Lake
The lake is ice free. Some fishermen have been out. No catches were
reported.
Iowa River
(Coralville Lake to River Junction)
Flow coming out of the Coralville Dam on Feb. 23 is 2500 CFS. It is
predicted to increase to 7500 CFS by March 3rd due to the lake being lowered to
spring pool. Walleye - Slow: Jigs are catching some fish below the Coralville
dam, but fishing conditions will decrease with the increase in flow.
Iowa River
(Marshalltown to Coralville Lake)
The river is reported as dirty. There has been some fishing going on, but
no catches were reported.
Kent Park Lake
The lake is ice free. Fishing regulations will be relaxed starting March
1 for Kent Park Lake only. There will be no length or bag limits for fish in
the lake at that time. This is to take advantage of the fish before the lake is
drained later in the year for a scheduled renovation project. Bluegill - Fair:
Anglers were catching some fish on wax worms around brush.
Lake Macbride
The lake is ice free. All boats may run at no wake speed at this time.
Boat docks are not in yet. Black Crappie - Slow: Some fish are being caught
over structure in 15-20 feet on minnows. Walleye - Slow: Some fish were caught
this week over structure in 15-25 feet on minnows.
Otter Creek
Lake
The lake is ice free.
Pleasant Creek Lake
The lake is currently down 12' for the restoration project. The lake is
ice free. The main boat ramp is open but it is extremely shallow; use caution at
these water levels.
Rodgers
Park Lake
The lake is mostly open if not completely open by
now.
Wapsipinicon River
(Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)
The river is up a little and a bit dirty. Walleye - Slow: A few walleyes
were caught last week on minnows.
For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Lake Keomah
The lake is ice free. Catch channel catfish with cut
bait on the windblown shorelines.
Lake Sugema
The lake is ice free. Catch channel catfish with cut bait on the
windblown shorelines.
Lake Wapello
The lake is ice free. Use cubit along the windblown shorelines or jetties
for channel catfish.
Rathbun Reservoir
The lake is ice free and the current lake level is 904.15 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. Channel Catfish - Good: Use shad guts or shrimp along the windblown
shorelines.
Red Haw Lake|
The lake is ice free. Catch channel catfish with cut bait on the
windblown 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 - Good: Trout were stocked on Feb. 9th. The lake is ice
free. Use spinners, panfish jigs and wax worms or minnows under a bobber.
Lake
Petocka
Rainbow Trout - Good: Trout were stocked on Feb. 3rd. Cast small inline
spinners, spoons, panfish jigs and wax worms or live minnows under a bobber..
Saylorville
Reservoir
Channel Catfish - Fair: A large die off of young shad occurred on Big
Creek over the winter. A lot of dead shad are flowing over the Big Creek
spillway into Saylorville. This could produce some good channel catfish fishing
below the Big Creek spillway using dead shad fished on the bottom or suspended
under a bobber.
As of Thursday, Feb. 23rd, Central Iowa
lakes are mostly to completely ice free. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823.
Big Lake
(Including Gilbert's Pond)
Rainbow Trout - Good: 1000 rainbow trout were stocked on Feb. 16th. Cast
small spinners or minnows under a bobber for best success.
Lake Anita
Lake Anita will provide good fishing this spring. Find a large crappie
population in the lake averaging 9 inches and bluegills up to 9.5 inches.
Lake Manawa
The canals at Manawa are ice free. Crappie fishing the canals can be good
on warm sunny day’s right after ice out. Manawa has a decent population of 10
to 12 inch white crappie. Manawa is also a good destination for early season
catfish. White Crappie - No Report: Cast twister tails or minnows under a
bobber in the canals to catch ice out crappie.
Littlefield
Lake
Littlefield Lake has quality size black crappies and bluegill.
Prairie Rose
Lake
Expect to catch quality size bluegills again this spring. The crappies
stocked in 2014 will reach an acceptable size to harvest in 2017. The lake also
supports a good population of channel catfish.
Lakes in the southwest district are ice free. A few
angler reports show good fishing for channel catfish. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587.
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