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Top Iowa Fishing Spots for the Week of January 25.
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.
Winter Urban Trout Stockings - fun for everyone
Catch trout through the ice at one of our winter urban trout stockings - a great place to take kids to catch their first fish. Snap a photo of your child and their catch and submit it for a First Fish certificate.
Arrowhead
Lake
Ice is 9-11 inches thick. Drill test holes often. Black Crappie - Fair: Use minnows or waxworms on a jig in areas
with structure anywhere from 10-15 feet deep. Bluegill - Fair: Catch keeper size bluegills with a teardrop jig
tipped with a waxworm fished near structure.
Bacon
Creek Lake
Rainbow trout will be stocked in Bacon
Creek Lake this Saturday, Jan. 27th at 2:00 p.m. This is a great time to catch trout through the ice using small
tube jigs tipped with bait or live minnows under a bobber.
Black
Hawk Lake
The winter aeration system is in operation in Town Bay. Expect areas of
thin ice and open water in Town Bay. As of Jan. 24, ice thickness near Ice House boat ramp was 11-12 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Use a teardrop jig and waxworm fished
off the bottom in the channel between Ice House boat
ramp and Gunshot Hill, the rock pile off of
Gunshot Hill, rock pile off Cottonwood Point, and the dredge cuts near Denison Beach
and Lakewood Point. Some sorting is needed. Black Crappie - Fair:
Anglers are picking up crappie while targeting bluegill. Walleye - Fair: Use a spoon and minnow fished on the dredge cuts
near Denison Beach and Lake wood point, and near the rock pile off of
Cottonwood Point.
Black
Hawk Pits
Ice is around 8-10 inches thick. Bluegill - Fair: Try a small
jig tipped with waxworms fished near the bottom.
Brushy
Creek Lake
Use caution, conditions are variable since the rain
event last week. Drill test holes often and expect less ice near inflows, in
the main channel, and near trees. Walleye
- Slow: A few walleye are being picked up with jigging spoons and a minnow
head. Low numbers, but most are bigger fish with some over 25 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Decent numbers of
bluegill catches reported with waxworms on a teardrop jig. Some sorting is
needed. Black Crappie - Fair: Use a minnow on a jig fished near
structure in 10-15 feet of water.
Moorland
Pond
Rainbow trout were stocked into Moorland Pond on Jan. 20th. Use small
tube jigs tipped with bait or live minnows under a bobber.
Storm
Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Most ice is around 16-18 inches, but variable conditions still
exist. Be aware of potential open water near ice heaves. Walleye
- Good: Use rattle spoons and jigging spoons with a minnow head in 8 feet of
water on the edges of the old dredged area in the west end. Some anglers are
catching limits of fish. Most fish are less than 14 inches, but some over 23
are being picked up too. Most of the action is at the west end of the lake off
Casino Beach, Frank Starr, and College Island. Yellow
Perch - Fair: Some perch have been picked up while targeting walleye. Black
Crappie - Fair: A few crappies are being picked up while fishing for
walleye.
Most lakes in western Iowa have 9-18 inches of ice.For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Beeds
Lake
Ice thickness is 13 to 15 inches. Bluegill – Slow.
Bluebill
Lake
Ice thickness is 13 to 15 inches. Bluegill - Slow: Best bite is in the early morning.
Blue
Pit
The DNR stocked 2500 rainbow trout on Jan. 13th.
Clear
Lake
Avoid areas near the aerators. The current ice thickness varies
from 14 to 16 inches. Yellow Bass - Slow: Yellows have been hard to find and are really finicky. Use light tackle and be mobile to stay on fish. The best bite is still
at dawn. Walleye – Slow: Dead stick a
minnow while you are jigging with another rod. The best bite is at dawn and dusk. Yellow Perch - Fair: Lots of small perch are being caught caught with a few keepers. Black
Crappie - Slow: Fish the dredge cuts in the little lake. Best bite is at first light.
Crystal
Lake
Avoid areas near the aerator. Ice thickness is 14 to 15 inches. Black Crappie - Good: Use a small jig
tipped with spikes near the edge of the dredge cut. Walleye - Slow: Best bite is early morning fishing with a minnow. Bluegill - Good: Lots of smaller
fish are being caught with a few keepers.
Lake
Smith
Ice thickness is 13 to 15 inches. Bluegill - Good: Lots of smaller
fish are being caught with a few keepers.
Rice
Lake
Ice thickness is 14 to 16 inches. Walleye - Slow: The best bite is at dawn and dusk fishing with
minnows. Yellow Perch - Slow.
Silver
Lake (Worth)
Avoid areas near the aerator. Ice thickness is 13 to 15 inches. Yellow Perch - Fair: Use a small jig
tipped with a waxworm or spike at the edge of vegetation. Bluegill - Slow: Try a small jig tipped with a waxworm or spike at
the edge of vegetation. Largemouth
Bass – Fair.
For information on the lakes and rivers in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
East
Okoboji Lake
Winter Games this weekend Jan. 25 - 28th. Walleye - Fair: Anglers
report walleye action south of Stony Point. Yellow
Bass
- Fair: Reports of yellow bass action improving; fish traditional sites and move
often to find active fish.
Five
Island Lake
Channel
Catfish - Fair: Good ice fishing action reported. Walleye - Fair: Ice anglers have had good pole bending activity
with numbers of fish harvested. Yellow
Bass - Good: Action has picked up, good numbers of fish have been harvested; fish the dredge cuts
for the best action.
Ingham
Lake
Use caution; thin ice conditions around the aeration system.
Lost
Island Lake
Yellow
Bass - Good: Good numbers of fish are being caught; fish the Stoney Point
area for the best action. Walleye -
Fair: Numbers of fish are reported from Lost Island Lake; change tactics with the changing weather conditions. Yellow
Perch - Fair: Some yellow perch and black crappie are being caught by
anglers fishing for yellow bass.
Scharnberg
Pond
Good numbers of trout were caught over the weekend.
Silver
Lake (Dickinson)
Use caution; thin ice conditions around the aeration system. Walleye - Good: Report of good action; fish early morning or evening hours for
the best activity.
Silver
Lake (Palo Alto)
Walleye - Fair: Ice
anglers report harvesting walleye. Yellow
Perch - Fair: Fishing action has been very variable; ice anglers are catching nice
size perch.
Spirit
Lake
Limited access to the lake; many access points are not accessible due to
heaves and slush conditions close to shore. Yellow Perch - Good: Numbers of fish are being caught with large angler acceptable size fish being caught
in the lake basin. Walleye
-
Good: Limits being reported.Use spoons tipped with a minnow head on rock piles or existing weed
lines. Best action is early evening at
prime time; fish a half hour before sunset to half hour after sunset.
Trumbull
Lake
Yellow
Perch - Good: Persistent and patient anglers will be rewarded with good
numbers of yellow perch 12 inches and larger in the creel. Northern
Pike
- Fair: Anglers have been harvesting some northern pike.
West
Okoboji Lake
Winter Games this weekend Jan. 25 - 28th. Bluegill - Good: Look
for open spots in the weed lines for the best action; a camera is needed to
find fish as site fishing is limited. Walleye - Good: Fish evening hours for
the best action.
Blizzard on Monday, Jan. 22 resulted in 12+ inches of snow on the Iowa
Great Lakes. For more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.
Cedar River (above Nashua)
Ice conditions are rapidly deteriorating after rain.
Water is off color. Use extreme caution when going on ice. Check ice depths
often. Few anglers have been out.
Decorah District Streams
Find out what urban pond or lake is being stocked this weekend. Most streams are off color with increased flows from
this week's rain. Conditions should improve as temperatures drop. Brook Trout - Slow: Midges hatch all season. Try wholly buggers for a hungry brookie. Brown Trout - Fair: This rain may entice a brown to feed. Runoff will
bring a fresh supply of insects. Use midge patterns. With muddy water, try a
flashy spinner or fly. Rainbow Trout - Slow: Rainbow Trout will be spawning soon. Drift a feathered spinner or
a hook tipped with worm along an undercut bank.
Lake Hendricks
No motorized
vehicles are allowed on the ice. Water is turbid from this week's rain. Use caution
when going on the ice. The lake has about 12 inches of ice; open water around
the aerator. Black Crappie - Fair:
Move around to find fish. Use small jig tipped with a minnow head. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are fishing near the point in the deeper channel. Use small jigs
tipped with waxworms or spikes.
Lake Meyer
Lake Meyer is off color with water sitting on top of
ice. No one has been out.
Volga Lake
The lake has about 15 inches of ice. Water clarity is poor with this week’s rain. Use
caution when going on ice. Few anglers are out. Black
Crappie - Slow: Drop your lure about 3 feet above
structure and watch them swim up to the bait. Use small jigs tipped with spikes
or waxworms.
Temperatures fall through the weekend after reaching
upper 40s Friday. Most rivers are running off color and water levels are up.
Lakes are turbid, but should have plenty of ice. The bite may turn on as runoff
from rain enters rivers and lakes. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.
Casey
Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
It's been hit and miss on Casey Lake, but there have been some reports of
crappie being caught. Black Crappie - Fair: Concentrate efforts in and
around the dam near sunken structure.
George Wyth Lake
Anglers are catching panfish.
Lake
Delhi
Anglers are catching bluegill and crappie; some sorting of fish
may be needed. Use extreme caution on this body of water for weak
areas of ice. Bluegill - Fair: Find
bluegill off of the bottom using a teardrop jig tipped with a waxworm. Black Crappie - Fair: Tip a teardrop
jig tipped with a waxworm; look for crappie off of the bottom and suspended.
Manchester
District Streams
Area streams have receded from the recent warm weather, snowmelt and
rain. Conditions are again ideal for getting out and chasing some nice brown
trout populations that exist in many of our streams. Brown Trout - Fair:
With the warm weather ahead, look for hatches occurring and mimic the hatch
with dry flies.
South Prairie Lake
We have received no information about fishing on this water body
this week. Bluegill - Fair: Find bluegill off of the bottom using a teardrop jig tipped with a
waxworm.
Ice conditions remain good on most lakes in and around Black Hawk
County, averaging 10-12 inches. Reports are very few this past week as anglers are not
having much success. Northeast Iowa trout streams have now receded and are once
again clear and stable. Call the N.E. Iowa district office at 563-927-3276 for more information.
Mississippi River Pool 9
Lansing water level is rising slightly this week near 8.8 feet. Avoid
areas where ice is heaved and use caution accessing the ice as shorelines and
sloughs may be unsafe due to thawing. Black
Crappie - Fair: Occasional crappie being caught along with bluegills on bloodworm
colored plastic or chartreuse jigs and waxworms. Yellow Perch - Good: Yellow perch bite has been good off and on. Try slow falling presentation
with plastic jigs or waxworms a few feet from the bottom. Sauger - No Report: Use jig and minnows fished off the bottom in the tailwater areas and deeper side channels. Bluegill - Good: Ice anglers are catching bluegill. Use small teardrop jigs tipped with waxies in 4-5 feet of water with no current. Northern
Pike - Good: Use tip-ups baited with shiners along the edges of deeper cuts
with vegetation. Set up tip ups far away from human traffic to avoid spooking them.
Mississippi River Pool 10
Water level at Lynxville has risen a few feet to 16.4 feet. The Slough at Sny Magill was still iced over, but
the edges have standing water and is deteriorating. Greymore Lake at Prairie du Chien has been consistent for panfish as
well as Norwegian Lake at Sny Magill area. Fish tend to be lower down the cut
at Bussey this week with a lot of sorting. Avoid the boat ramp area and ice
heaves as ice is not stable. Park along the south side of causeway road and
walk down from the upper end of Bussey. Yellow Perch - Good: Yellow perch bite has been good off and on. Try slow falling presentation
with plastic jigs or waxworms a few feet from the bottom. Bluegill
- Good: Ice anglers are catching bluegill. Use small teardrop jigs tipped with waxies in 4-5 feet of water with no current. Northern
Pike
- Good: Use tip-ups baited with shiners along the edges of deeper cuts with
vegetation. Set up tip ups far away from human traffic to avoid
spooking them. Black Crappie - Fair: Occasional crappie being caught along with bluegills on bloodworm
colored plastic or chartreuse jigs and waxworms. Largemouth
Bass
- Good: Tip up anglers are catching nice size bass through the ice using
minnows or shiners.
Mississippi River Pool 11
Water level at Guttenberg tail-water s up two feet at 8.23 feet. Backwaters have good ice thickness, but it is variable with water on top in many places around edges. Bertom & Mc Cartney, Sunfish Lake and Zollicoffers are still producing bluegills
and perch with some crappie mixed in. Black Crappie - Fair: Occasional crappie being caught along with bluegills on bloodworm
colored plastic or chartreuse jigs and wax-worms. Yellow Perch - Good: Yellow perch bite has been good off and on. Try slow falling
presentation with plastic jigs or waxworms a few feet from the bottom. Bluegill - Good: Ice anglers are catching bluegill. Use small teardrop jigs tipped with waxies in 4-5 feet of water with no current. Northern
Pike
- Fair: Use tip-ups baited with shiners along the edges of deeper cuts with
vegetation. Set up tip ups far away from human traffic to avoid
spooking them. Largemouth
Bass
- Good: Tip up anglers are catching a few bass using minnows or shiners.
Ice fishing is still going, but the key is to be mobile to find active
schools of fish. The morning bite has been better. Warmer weather along with a
bump in river levels this week has caused some deterioration around the
shorelines. Most backwaters still have 12-16 inches of ice, but be extremely
cautious on sloughs, near pressure ridges and entering and exiting the ice.
With no snow cover, ice grippers are highly recommended for getting around the
slick surface.
Mississippi River Pool 12
Water levels are stable at 7.9 feet at the Dubuque Lock and Dam and 10.2 feet at the RR bridge. This is nearly two feet higher then last week. Ice
fishing is still going on in almost all the typical backwaters and marina's in
Pool 12. Some water reported at the edges. Yellow
Perch - Good: Yellow perch are being caught in a variety of backwaters. Most anglers
are using waxworms and are catching them while targeting bluegills. Black
Crappie - Fair: Up and down reports on crappies all fall and into the winter. Northern Pike - Good: Reports of
northern pike being taken on tip ups and large shiners. Bluegill - Good: Lots of moving and lots of sorting, but bluegill
fishing has been decent in most of the Marinas and usual backwater lakes. Reports range from awesome to poor.
Mississippi River Pool 13
Water levels rose rapidly following the winter rain event and are 8.9 feet at the Bellevue Lock and
Dam. This is over two feet higher than last week. Expect
water levels to stabilize and then slowly recede. Heavy ice flows are making it
difficult to launch in the tailwater as of Thursday. Despite recent rains, ice
fishing is going on in nearly all the normal backwaters on Pool 13 but water is
pooling at the edge of many locations. Use caution ice fishing. Yellow Perch - Good: Yellow perch fishing continues to be good in a variety of locations; reports vary from poor to great fishing. Keep moving to find locations where they are hitting.
Bluegill -
Good: Lots of sorting going on, but several reports of catching numerous bluegills
in the Pool using waxworms.
Mississippi River Pool 14
Water levels rose rapidly this week and are 7.6 feet at Fulton, 10.7 feet at
Camanche and 5.8 feet at LeClaire. Expect water levels to continue to rise for a few
days. Heavy ice flows have prevented anglers from launching in the tailwater.
Ice fishing is getting sketchy with water along edges. Probably some spots fit
to ice fish yet, but use caution. Bluegill - Good: Some good
reports of bluegill out of the Rock Creek area. Black Crappie - Good: Crappie anglers are hitting the Rock Creek and
Cattail slough.
Mississippi River Pool 15
Water levels are 7.3 feet at Rock Island and will rise the next few days. No fishing was reported to us this week.
Anglers will encounter a much different river then
last week. The week’s rain caused the river to rise rapidly. It has now started
to stabilize in parts of the district. Boating in most tailwater is possible,
but lots of ice flows. If you have any angling questions, please contact the Bellevue Fisheries
Station 563-872-4976.
Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage is 7.27 feet at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities and has risen close to a couple feet. The Marquette St. boat ramp is open and there was
boats launching as of Jan. 25th. With the rising water levels and recent warm
temperatures, there are unsafe ice conditions. Sauger - Fair: Try vertical jigging with minnows or pulling three-way rigs with
stickbaits below Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities. Walleye - Fair: A
few walleyes have been caught below Lock and Dam 15.
Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage is 6.05 feet at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine and has risen close to a foot the past couple days.
Tailwater stage is forecast to reach 7.3 feet by next week. As of Jan. 25th, boats were launching at the upper ramps in Muscatine.
There are some floating ice chunks at the ramp that could make launching and
loading boats difficult. We have not received any reports on how the bite has been.
With the rising water levels and warm temperatures, there are unsafe ice
conditions. Walleye - No Report: Try vertical jigging with minnows or
pulling three-way rigs with stickbaits below the dam. Sauger - No
Report: Try vertical jigging with minnows or pulling three-way rigs with
stickbaits.
Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 6.84 feet at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston and has risen close to a foot the past couple of days. Tailwater stage is forecast to reach 8.4 feet by next week. As of Jan.
25th, the Toolsboro ramp is being reported as open and the main channel is
open. We have not received any reports on sauger and walleye fishing below the
dam. With the rising water levels and warm temperatures, there are unsafe ice
conditions. Sauger - No Report: Try vertical jigging with minnows or
pulling three-way rigs with stickbaits. Walleye - No Report: Try
vertical jigging with minnows or pulling three-way rigs with stickbaits.
Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 4.04 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and and has risen close to a foot the past couple days. Tailwater stage is forecast to reach 5.5 feet by next week. We received
reports that the ramps in Burlington and Tama Beach were still frozen in. With
the rising water levels and warm temperatures, there are unsafe ice conditions.
The main channel has been opening up and there has
been some tailwater fishing the past few days. Tailwater stages have been
rising the past few days. With the rising river levels and warm temperatures,
there are unsafe ice conditions. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.
Big Hollow Lake
Use extreme caution if you are going out this
weekend, especially around the edges. They are starting to lose ice pretty fast
now. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are still picking up some nice bluegills out in the flooded
timber and to the right of the boat ramp. Black Crappie - Slow: The crappies have been pretty hit and miss. One day you can
catch them while the next day you aren’t sure they even exist.
Lake Belva Deer
Bring your rubber boots, the top of the ice is
getting sloppy. Bluegill - Fair: Work the creek channel out in the flooded trees. Black
Crappie - Good: Anglers are still picking up crappies out along the creek
channel in the flooded timber.
Lake Darling
Warm weather at the end of this week will not be
good for ice conditions. As of Jan. 25, ice is roughly 6 inches thick; lots of
water and slush on top. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are still down near the bottom in 10 to 12 foot of water. Fish
near the habitat and you can still find them. Black Crappie - Good: Work the habitat in 10 to 12 feet of water; it will take a while, but
you can still catch a nice batch.
Lake Geode
The lake is drained for renovation.
Lost Grove Lake
Ice conditions are still pretty good as of Jan. 25. Don't look for them
to be near as good by the end of the weekend. Black Crappie - Good: They are still out in 20 to 25 foot of water. Drill a few holes out around the trees and you can still find a nice batch of
crappies.
For more information on the above lakes and rivers, contact the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.
Central
Park Lake
The lake is drained for the renovation project that is going on now.
Coralville Reservoir
The lake is holding at winter pool of 683.4 feet. Ice is deteriorating from the increase in water flow due to rain/melting
in and above the watershed. As of Jan. 25, the flow going through the lake is
2000 CFS, compared to 250 CFS last weekend. The water going through is also
dirty. Ice fishing is not recommended on most of the lake.
Diamond
Lake
The ice fishing tournament scheduled here on
Saturday, Jan. 27th has been cancelled. The shorelines have opened up around
the lake making getting on the ice more difficult. Bluegill - Fair: Catch 6-8 inch fish off
brush piles on jigs/waxies. Black Crappie - Fair: Use jigs/waxies around brush.
Most fish are about 8 inches.
Iowa
Lake (Iowa Co.)
Ice fishing is not recommended as the shorelines have opened up.
Kent
Park Lake
The lake is drained for the renovation project that will take
place next winter. The ponds in Kent Park are reported as having about 10 inches
of ice.
Lake Macbride
Ice conditions have been holding up pretty well. Much
of the lake still has 9-11 inches. Watch your step around the edges as they are
soft or open in areas. Most anglers are targeting the south arm or the area
inside the park off the main double ramp. Bluegill - Fair: Use a jig/waxie around any brush or deeper rock.
Size is marginal at best as these fish top out at 7.5 inches. Black Crappie - Fair: Try a jig/waxie around/over wood. Walleye - Slow: Use a spoon/minnow along rock edges, deeper stumps,
or drop-offs. Dawn and dusk has been best. Most fish are small, but some eaters
are also being caught.
Otter
Creek Lake
The ice was reported as being about 12 inches last Saturday, Jan. 20. Recent rains/warmth have deteriorated the shorelines
and the main ice. Use caution if venturing out; accessing the ice may be
difficult. Yellow Bass – Good. Bluegill – Fair. Black Crappie – Good.
Pleasant
Creek Lake
The lake is still 10 feet low from the restoration project. The lake is reported as about 10-12 inches of ice, but the edges have opened up some. There has not
been as many people out fishing as earlier in the season. Most anglers are
targeting the area along the dam and out from the main ramp. Walleye - Slow: Try minnows or spoons tipped with minnow heads. Most fish are being caught in the creek channels.
Early mornings have been best. Bluegill
- Slow: Use small jigs and waxies along the dam. White Bass - Slow: A few fish are being caught suspended in deeper
water with spoons. Yellow
Perch - Slow: A few decent perch are being caught on jigs or small spoons
tipped with waxies. Black
Crappie - Slow: Fish over deeper brush with a jig/waxie.
Union
Grove Lake
There has been no fishing activity on the lake. The aeration system is
on, so there is open water at the lower end of the lake. Shorelines have deteriorated
from recent rains.
Many smaller bodies of water have become unsafe; the
larger ones are still fishable, but may have some shoreline deterioration. Ice
over flowing water is unsafe. For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Lake Miami
Use caution getting on and off the ice as the ice along the shoreline has
started to melt in some areas. Bluegill - Good: Use a teardrop jig tipped with
a waxworm in the cedar tree piles.
Lake Sugema
Ice thickness is variable. The ice has started to melt along the
shoreline; use caution getting on and off the ice. Bluegill - Fair: Use
teardrop jigs tipped with a waxworm in areas with structure. Black Crappie
- Fair: Try jigs tipped with a waxworm or a minnow in areas with structure.
Lake Wapello
Ice thickness is variable. The ice is melting around the shoreline; use
caution getting on and off the ice. Bluegill - Fair: Use teardrop jigs
tipped with a waxworm in areas around the cedar tree piles. Black Crappie
- Fair: Use jigs tipped with a waxworm or a minnow in areas around the cedar
tree piles.
Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 903.14 msl. Normal operating elevation is 904.0 msl. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels, so make sure to properly drain, clean, and dry equipment before transporting to another water body. The ramps at the Rathbun marina are closed for the season and all the campgrounds are closed. Ice conditions are variable; use caution getting on
and off the ice as the ice near the shoreline has started to melt. Black
Crappie - Fair: Use waxworms or minnows. Target structure in deeper water. Sorting is needed for larger fish.
Red Haw Lake
Ice thickness has been variable; use caution. Be prepared for the ice
around the shoreline to start melting, making getting on and off the ice more
difficult. Bluegill - Fair: Use a teardrop jig tipped with a waxworm around
structure.
Most of the waterbodies in the district have fishable ice, but
conditions will vary so use caution. The district includes Mahaska, Lucas, Wayne, Monroe, Appanoose, Wapello, Davis and Van Buren counties. Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa.
Ada
Hayden Heritage Park Lake
Ice thickness was 12 inches as of Jan. 25th. Rainbow Trout - Fair: The family fishing event and trout stocking is still
scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 3rd pending on good ice conditions. Previously
stocked trout are being caught with spoons or small panfish jigs tipped with
waxworms. Trout tend
to swim the perimeter, so set up within 20 yards of shore.
Big
Creek Lake
As of Jan. 25th, ice thickness was holding around 14 inches. Some thin edges are
possible, especially around the boat ramps. Black Crappie - Fair: Some anglers are finding crappies in the late afternoon and
evenings. Fall surveys showed good numbers
of 10 plus inch crappies that are worth some time to find. Bluegill - Fair: A few
reports of good bluegill catches coming from the coves and Lost Lake area. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes are being
caught on the edge of the creek channel and steep drops in the lower half of
the lake. The better bite is a short period of time near sunset.
Dakins
Lake
Bluegill - Fair: The bluegill bite has slowed some since the beginning of the ice season, but they are still
being caught in the timber and sunken habitat. Black
Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught mixed in with bluegills in the
late afternoon and evening.
Don
Williams Lake
Black
Crappie - Good: Anglers are catching crappies suspended 10-15 feet down in 20-30 feet of
water in the late afternoon and evenings. Midday they are
also being found shallower near sunken habitat in 10-15 feet of water. Two size
ranges are being caught. Expect to fish through many 5-7 inch fish for the 9-10 inch fish.
Hickory
Grove Lake
Bluegill - Good: Catch 7-8
inch bluegills over brush piles. Move around to find active fish. Black Crappie - Slow: Most anglers are
finding the crappie fishing to be slow, but when fish are caught the size is
good. Crappie catches have been mostly limited to the dawn and dusk.
Jacob
Krumm Nature Preserve Lake (west)
Bluegill - Good: Krumm is a
popular ice fishing destination for its good size bluegills and crappies. Anglers are catching both with the better crappie fishing in
the evenings.
Lake
Petocka
Rainbow
Trout - Slow: The winter trout stocking and family fishing event scheduled for
this Saturday, January 27th has been postponed in hopes of improved ice
conditions in early February.
Ice fishing in Central Iowa is still going; use
caution on the edges of many lakes and ponds where ice has deteriorated from
warm weather and rain. For more 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 were stocked on Jan. 20th. Rainbow Trout - Good: Tip
jigs with wax worms or use minnows.
Cold
Springs District Farm Ponds
Some ponds in the southwest district lost
significant ice this week due to rain and warm temperatures. Use extreme
caution when venturing out on farm ponds. Bluegill
- Good: Anglers are finding bluegills in the deepest part of ponds. Move often
if fishing is slow. Black Crappie -
Fair: The late afternoon bite has been good in larger ponds that support crappie
populations.
Farm
Creek Lake
Farm Creek has a good panfish population. Use caution as rain may start to erode ice. Bluegill - Fair: Drill holes often to find active bluegill. Fish will average 8.5
inches. Black Crappie - Fair: The
crappie bite has been best in the late afternoon and after dark. Fish over the
channel for best success. Crappies will average 9.5 inches.
Greenfield
Lake
Greenfield has a good bluegill and crappie population. There has
been little fishing activity to report. Bluegill –
Slow. Black Crappie – Fair.
Lake Anita
Ice on the main lake averages 10 inches. Most of the activity is in the
campground arm. Black Crappie - Fair: The best bite is late afternoon and after dark. Fish will average 9
inches. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill fishing is best in the afternoon. Catch fish up to 9.5 inches.
Littlefield Lake
Littlefield has a quality panfish population. Find fish around cedar
tree piles. Bluegill -
Good: Fishing is good around the cedar tree piles for bluegills up to 9 inches.
Be prepared to sort for larger fish. Black
Crappie - Slow: A few 10 to 12 inch black crappies are being caught around
the tree piles.
Meadow Lake
Meadow Lake has a good panfish population and will provide good fishing
this winter. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers report good catches of bluegill in 12 feet of water in the
west arm of the lake. Fish will average 8 inches.Black
Crappie - Fair: Crappies are hitting better in the late afternoon and after dark.
Fish will average 9.5 inches.
Prairie Rose Lake
Prairie Rose has a bluegill and crappie population that should provide good ice fishing this winter. Ice is 10-12 inches. Bluegill -
Fair: Bluegills are hitting in the afternoon west of the traditional pump house location. Fish will
average 8.5 inches. Black Crappie - Fair: Black crappie become active just before dark. Fish are 9.5 inches.
Viking
Lake
Viking has a good crappie population. Geese have an area of open water close to the
beach that anglers need to be aware of. Black Crappie - Fair: Fish deep brush piles close to the channel
for black crappies up to 9.5 inches. The late afternoon bite is best. Sorting is
needed. White Crappie - Fair: White
crappies in Viking are larger than the blacks, but fewer in number. Fish over
the channel with minnows or waxworms to find fish up to 14 inches.
Rain and warm temperatures changed ice conditions in
many locations, especially farm ponds. Angler reports indicate fair to good
fishing around the district. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587.
Little
River Watershed Lake
Ice thickness is 6-12 inches. Thin ice reported in the flooded timber between Paul
Vonn boat ramp and the campground.Geese are keeping some
areas of open water, especially north of the dam.
Summit
Lake
Ice thickness is about 10 inches. Some areas of thin ice near the fishing jetty and
boat dock. Ice may be thin near the HWY 25 bridge. Yellow Perch - Fair: Catch yellow perch up to 10 inches with jigs tipped with a minnow fished on the bottom. Bluegill - Slow: Catch bluegill up to 8 inches using jigs tipped with a waxworm
fished on the bottom.
Twelve
Mile Creek Lake
Ice thickness is about 11 inches. Some areas of the shoreline may have open water or
thin ice. Open water observed at the north boat ramp. Bluegill - Fair: Catch bluegill
up to 7.5 inches with jigs tipped with a waxworm fished along rock piles, cedar
tree brush piles, or along the roadbed.
Most Mount Ayr district lakes have 6-13 inches of ice. There are areas of open water along the shoreline, especially around fishing jetties and boat docks at some lakes. Geese are keeping some areas of lakes open. For more
information, please contact the Mount Ayr Fisheries office at 641-464-3108.
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