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Top Iowa Fishing Spots for the Week of August 30.
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.
Beeds
Lake
Black
Crappie - Fair: Drift fish or troll with a tube jig or small minnow. Yellow
Bass
- Fair: Drift fish or troll with a small jig.
Clear
Lake
Surface water temperature is 69 degrees. Walleye - Fair: Troll crankbaits in 6 to 10 feet of water. Channel
Catfish - Good: With recent rains and more predicted for next week, cut
bait or crawlers in areas where water is entering the lake. Black
Crappie - Fair: Drift a jig and minnow over deeper submerged vegetation. Yellow
Bass
- Fair: Drift or troll a small jig tipped with cut bait or a minnow in 6 to 10 feet of
water until you find the fish. Muskellunge - Fair: Fish the edge of the vegetation and near docks.
Crystal
Lake
Black
Crappie - Fair: Drift or troll small tube jigs in the dredge cut.
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
Yellow
Bass - Good: Excellent bite continues with good numbers of fish being caught. Cast mini-jigs or
hair-jigs or use small baits tipped with wigglers. Walleye - Good: Numbers of
fish are being caught with traditional baits; good numbers of yellow bass are
mixed in with the catch. Bluegill -
Good: The bite has fluctuated with the changing weather, but persistence
will be rewarded with good numbers caught.
Lake Pahoja
Bluegill - Good: Recent surveys show good numbers of large angler size fish in the lake.
Lost Island Lake
Yellow Bass - Good: Reports of yellow bass being caught with black crappie and yellow perch up to 10 inches mixed in the catch. Use small lures such as a twister tail or hair jigs. Channel
Catfish - Good: Anglers report catching large channel catfish after dark. Bluegill -
Good: Recent surveys show numbers of fish approaching 7 inches in the lake. Black Crappie - Good: Recent surveys show
numbers of angler acceptable size fish up to 10 inches in the lake.
Ocheyedan
Pit #1
Channel Catfish - Fair: Recent surveys show good numbers of 17 -23 inch channel catfish.
Spirit Lake
Walleye
- Fair: The walleye bite has slowed, but persistence will be rewarded with good
catches of fish. Yellow
Perch - Good: Good numbers of angler acceptable size yellow perch continue to be caught; start shallow on the outside line of the weed beds. Bluegill - Good: Reports of
bluegill, crappie and yellow perch being caught in the Illinois Pondweed in 8 -
10 feet of water. Use a slip bobber and jigs to fish fast and find active fish.
West
Fork Des Moines (state line to Emmetsburg)
Channel Catfish - Good: Reports of fish being caught from the river. Use
traditional baits for the best "pole bending" action. Walleye -
Good: Report of walleye action picking up on the river.
West Okoboji Lake
Bluegill
-
Good: Rock piles in deeper water with stands of aquatic growth will produce
good numbers of angler acceptable sized fish.
For more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.
Cedar River (above Nashua)
Water levels crested after Tuesday’s rain. Flows
remain high. Clarity is poor. Use caution when boating as large woody debris
and other materials may be on the move. Visit the USGS Current Water Data website for current water level information. Walleye - Slow: Use a jig tipped with a twister tail or minnow in deeper water or a spinnerbait in slack water
pockets. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Fish midday on overcast days or dawn and dusk. A variety of baits are
working. Channel
Catfish - Good: Fresh food inputs from recent rain should
turn the catfish bite on; use chicken liver or dead chubs.
Decorah District Streams
Streams with better watersheds will clear quicker,
especially after Tuesday’s rain. Without more rain, streams should clear enough
to fish by the weekend. Due to marginal stream temperatures, some streams are not stocked during August. Listen to the trout stocking hotline (563-927-5736) for daily information. Brook Trout - Fair: A variety of aquatic and terrestrial insects, like ants and beetles, are more numerous. Use care not to spook a feeding fish. Brown Trout - Excellent: Hendrickson caddis and cranefly hatches are occurring. Crickets are common along streams now. Use hendrickson gnat or beadhead nymph patterns. Pale yellow, black, brown, and grey colors work best. Rainbow Trout - Fair: Try a piece of worm or small cheese chunk on a hook under a bobber in the deeper holes or floated past an undercut bank. A variety of small spinnerbaits work well.
French
Creek
The bridge on Mays Prairie Road (CR X6A) is being replaced. Work is scheduled
through mid-November. Access the parking lot from the south. Brown Trout
- Good: The best time to fish French Creek is after rain events so fish will be
less spooky. This stream rarely turns off color.
Lake Hendricks
Planktonic green algae bloom continues on the lake.
Water temperatures are in the low 70's. Cooler weather should help clear the bloom. Black Crappie - Fair: Slowly reel a minnow on a hook over structure. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try near submersed rocky habitat or depth contours in
the early morning. Channel
Catfish - Good: Use a large nightcrawler fished off the
bottom near woody structure. Bluegill - Fair: Activity should pick up with cooler temperatures. Try a small jig tipped with small piece of worm off rocky shoreline or near submersed logs.
Lake Meyer
Water temperatures are in the mid 70's. With Tuesday’s rain, lake clarity is poor. Bluegill - Slow: Use a hook tipped with a small piece of worm or cricket under a bobber near weed edges. Channel
Catfish - Good: Try stink bait or cut baits fished just off
the bottom in the evening. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Use topwater baits along weed edges on overcast days and late evenings. Black Crappie - Slow: Use a jig and minnow near submersed structure.
Osborne
Pond
Osborne Pond is currently being renovated. The dam was breached in July
and a water retention basin installed. Material will be removed over the winter
and new habitat installed in the spring. After repairs to the dam are made, it will
be allowed to fill. The pond will then be restocked with bluegill, channel
catfish, and largemouth bass.
Turkey
River (above Clermont)
The Turkey River continues to rise. Flows remain high.
Visit the USGS Current
Condition website for more information. Use care when boating,
especially with unpredictable currents. Water temperatures are in the low 70's.
Visibility is poor. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Use crawfish imitators or spinners in
slack water areas off riffles. Walleye - Slow: Try minnows or lures
imitating minnows in deep water drop offs.
Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water levels are variable with poor clarity. Visit the USGS Current Water
Data website for more information. Paddling activities are not recommended. Walleye - Slow: Catch varies. Try natural colored jigs and
twister tails or a spinnerbait. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Use crankbaits near rocky ledges undercut banks and current breaks.
Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water clarity is poor. Water levels are dropping. Current velocities are
very swift. Paddling activities are not recommended. Visit the USGS Current Conditions website
for more information. Walleye - Slow: Cast a jig and twister tail into deep water
drop offs and eddies. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Cast a crankbait or spinner near a rock ledge or into a current break.
Volga Lake
The algae bloom continues, but should clear with
cooling temperatures. Black Crappie - Slow: Slowly retrieve a lure over structure at dawn and
dusk. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use topwater lures over structure or run a jig tipped with a
twister tail along a rocky shoreline. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Use stink bait worms or cut baits fished off the
bottom in the evening near woody structure. Bluegill - Fair: Use a small jig tipped with a small piece of worm along rocky
shorelines.
Prepare for a stormy holiday weekend in Northeast
Iowa. Temperatures ranging from upper 70's for highs to upper 50's for lows.
Area rivers and streams are up and muddy after recent rain events. Trout
streams are currently off color and should clear without more heavy downpours. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.
Big
Woods Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: Try finding structure; use a crappie minnow under a slip
bobber at various depths.
Casey
Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Casey Lake is in good condition with clear water. Vegetation remains
abundant around edges, but it is starting to die back. Bluegill – Fair: Try fishing various depths with a piece of crawler under a bobber near
the edge of weeds or structure.
Cedar
River (Nashua to La Porte City)
The Cedar River received a fair amount of rain this
past week; there have been no angling reports. Channel catfish may be the best opportunity on the
river right now. Channel Catfish – Good Use stink baits in the top or upstream end of log jams.
Maquoketa
River (above Monticello)
The Maquoketa River is in excellent condition. Smallmouth bass and
walleye fishing should be good throughout Delaware and Jones counties.
Shell
Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
The Shell Rock River received a fair amount of rain this past week; there
have been no angling reports. Channel catfish may be the best opportunity on
the river right now. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use stink baits in the top
or upstream end of log jams.
South
Prairie Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: Try finding structure; use a crappie minnow under a slip bobber
at various depths.
Wapsipinicon
River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
The Wapsipinicon River received a little rain in
Buchanan County, but conditions remain good for angling opportunities. Northern
Pike - Good: Cast large bucktail spinners.
The Cedar and Shell Rock in Butler County received a
fair amount of rain this past week. The Wapsipinicon and Maquoketa Rivers
remain in decent shape for angling opportunities. Trout streams remain in
excellent condition, but the extended forecast is calling for potential heavy
rains. Call the N.E. Iowa district
office at 563-927-3276 for more information.
Mississippi River Pool 9
River level at Lansing has risen to 9.8 feet and is expected
to rise another foot next week. Water temperature is near 73 degrees. The Lansing Village Creek ramp is closed through October. For more updates, call the
Guttenberg Fisheries Management office at 563-252-1156. Walleye - Fair: Water levels are rising; you will need to move
around to find walleyes. Use a 3-way
rig with a floating jig and a worm. Yellow Perch - No Report: Perch bite has been spotty, but some nicer ones are being caught with
live minnow rigs. Northern
Pike - No Report: This time of year pike are attracted to cooler water coming in from
springs and tributaries. Channel Catfish - Good: Try cut bait or stink bait in the main and side channel borders. Largemouth Bass - Slow: The bass bite has slowed with the poor water clarity
this week. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: The bite has slowed with the poor water
clarity this week. White
Bass
- Fair: Cast flashy spinners or crankbaits along the rocks in main channel
current for big white bass. Bluegill
- Fair: Find bluegills in clearer water with slow current in
backwater areas away from main channel and sloughs. Freshwater Drum - Excellent: Freshwater drum are actively biting in areas of current. Drop a
heavily weighted worm rig into the current for some big fish action. Black
Crappie - Slow: Expect the crappie bite to pick up after the water clarity improves. Try
tube jigs or minnow under a bobber in submersed trees in the backwater sloughs.
Mississippi River Pool 10
River level at Lynxville rose 3 feet this week to
16.4 feet. It is expected to remain around this level pending any more
precipitation. Water temperature is 75 degrees at the Lock and Dam 9. Walleye- Fair: Water levels are rising; you need to move around to
find walleyes. Use a 3-way
rig with a floating jig and a worm. Yellow Perch - No Report: Perch bite has been spotty, but some nicer ones are being caught with
live minnow rigs. Northern Pike -No Report: This time of year pike are attracted to cooler water coming in
from springs and tributaries. Channel Catfish - Good: Try cut bait or stink bait in the main and side channel borders. Bluegill - Fair: Find bluegills in clearer water with slow current in
backwater areas away from main channel and sloughs. Largemouth Bass - Slow: The bass bite has slowed with the poor water clarity
this week. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: The bass bite has slowed with the poor water
clarity this week. White
Bass
- Fair: Cast flashy spinners or crankbaits along the rocks in the main channel
current for big white bass. Bluegill - Fair: Find the bluegills in clearer water with slow
current in backwater areas away from main channel and sloughs. Freshwater
Drum - Excellent: Freshwater drum are actively biting in
areas of current. Drop a heavily weighted worm rig into the current for some
big fish action. Black
Crappie - Slow: Expect the crappie bite to pick up after the water clarity
improves. Try tube jigs or minnow under a bobber in submersed trees in the
backwater sloughs.
Mississippi River Pool 11
River level at Guttenberg has risen several feet to
7.4 feet and is expected to reach 9.5 feet next week. Water temperature is 68 degrees at
Lock and Dam 10. Walleye - Fair: Water levels are rising; you need to move around to
find walleyes. Use a 3-way
rig with a floating jig and a worm. Yellow Perch - No Report: Perch bite has been spotty, but some nicer ones are being caught
with live minnow rigs. Northern Pike - No Report: This time of year, pike are attracted to cooler water coming in from
springs and tributaries. Channel Catfish - Good: Try cut bait or stink bait in the main and side channel borders. Largemouth Bass - Slow: The bass bite has slowed with the poor water
clarity this week. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: The bass bite has slowed with the poor water
clarity this week. White
Bass - Fair: Cast flashy spinners or crankbaits along the rocks in main
channel current for big white bass. Bluegill - Slow: Find bluegills in clearer water with slow
current in backwater areas away from main channel and sloughs. Freshwater Drum - Excellent: Freshwater
drum are actively biting in areas of current. Drop a heavily weighted worm rig
into the current for some big fish action. Black
Crappie - Slow: Expect the crappie bite to pick up after the water clarity
improves. Try tube jigs or minnow under a bobber in submersed trees in the
backwater sloughs.
Upper Mississippi River levels are rising with recent heavy rainfalls. Water
clarity is poor with much floating vegetation and debris. Water temperatures
are in the low 70's.
Mississippi River Pool 12
Water levels will rise to around 9.1 feet at the
Dubuque Lock and Dam and 11.2 feet at the RR bridge. Water clarity is fair. The water temperature is around 76 degrees. Channel
Catfish - Excellent:Try stink bait or worms near shore. Freshwater Drum - Excellent: Most anglers use a simple egg sinker and worm rig. Drum will be hanging out relatively near shore in
moderate current areas. Largemouth
Bass
- Excellent: Largemouth bass are being caught along flooded weed lines and in weedy
backwater using lures like scum frogs. White
Bass - Good: Look for schools of white bass feeding on the surface in the
morning and evenings. Bluegill - Excellent: Try along the vegetation lines in 4 to 6 feet of water. Flathead
Catfish - Good: Current areas along rocks are starting to again produce
some nice eating sized flathead catfish. Walleye
- Slow: Use crankbaits on the wing dams. White
Crappie - Good: Try small minnows in brush piles along
major side channels or deeper backwater areas. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Use spinners or crankbaits along rocky
areas with strong current.
Mississippi River Pool 13
Water level will drop to around 10 feet at the Bellevue
Lock and Dam. Water clarity is fair, but avoid all the tributary
streams as they are muddy. The water
temperature is around 77 degrees. The north ramp at Sabula is not in use this
year due to bridge construction. Channel
Catfish - Excellent: Try stink bait or worms near shore. Move often if you are not finding
catfish. Freshwater Drum - Excellent:
The drum bite is on. Fish worms with an egg sinker in moderate current areas. Fish near the shorelines if possible. Largemouth
Bass
- Excellent: Most are feeding along the edge of weed lines. Use a bright
colored spinner that imitates minnows. Try also frog imitation lures in the weedy backwaters. White
Bass
- Good: Look for feeding schools of white bass in the morning and evenings. Small
spinners and white jigs work best. Bluegill -
Good: Try fishing along
vegetation lines in 4 to 6 feet of water. Flathead
Catfish - Good: Try live bait in high current areas or above large brush piles. White Crappie - Good: Some nice
crappies were reported coming out of deeper backwater areas along newly exposed brush piles. Walleye - Fair: Some walleyes were taken off wing dams with crankbaits, but the
bite has been somewhat slow. Lots of drifting aquatic vegetation was reported,
making angling difficult.
Mississippi
River Pool 14
Water levels are predicted to rise to 9.5 feet at
Fulton Lock and Dam, 12.2 feet at Camanche and 7 feet at the LeClaire. Water clarity is fair. The water temperature is around 77 degrees. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Try stink bait or worms
near shore or along brush piles. Freshwater
Drum
- Excellent: Use a simple egg sinker/worm rig in moderate current areas. Largemouth
Bass
- Excellent: Bright colored spinners fished along flooded shorelines are picking up
some bass. White
Bass
- Good: White bass are using the tailwater area. Many small
fish can be caught; use bright jigs or flashy lures. Smallmouth
Bass
- Fair: Focus on rock lines and rock piles with strong current. Flathead Catfish - Good: Some flatheads
are hitting crankbaits and jigs along rocky areas. Anglers are using live baits on trot lines with some success. Bluegill - Good: Lower ends
of Rock Creek and Catfish Slough have produced some nice bluegills; mainly
using worms and bobbers. White Crappie
- Good: Try newly exposed brush piles with small minnows and jigs.
Mississippi River Pool 15
Water levels are 9.5 feet at Rock Island. Water clarity is poor. The water temperature
is around 77 degrees. Channel
Catfish - Excellent: Try stink bait or worms
near shore. Freshwater
Drum - Excellent: Use an egg sinker and worm rig fished near shore in moderate current areas. Flathead
Catfish - Good: Use live bait above large dead falls. Some may also be caught in the tailwater in large
eddies. Smallmouth
Bass
- No Report: Try spinners jigs and crankbaits in rock lines and piles with strong
current. Dirty water will slow this bite.
Conditions will significantly change during the week
as water will rise nearly three feet due to extreme rains upstream. Logs and
debris will be common, so be careful boating. Avoid tributary streams as they
are running muddy. If you have any angling questions, please contact the Bellevue Fisheries
Station 563-872-4976.
Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage is 7.49 feet at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities and is rising. River stage is forecast to reach 9.5 feet by Monday. Channel Catfish - Fair: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and
snags in the side channels and main channels. Try fishing above the brush piles
with stink bait or shad. Fishing main channel wing dams also works. Walleye - No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing dams. Cast crankbaits
or troll three-way rigs with crawlers. White Bass - No Report: Cast jigs with twister tails in Sylvan Slough or Sunset
Marina.
Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage is 6.46 feet at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine and is rising. Current predictions have the river reaching 9.3 feet
next week. Channel Catfish - Fair: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and
snags along the main channel and side channels. Fishing around main channel wing
dams works, too. Use dip baits or cut shad. Walleye - No Report: Look for walleyes on the wingdams. Cast crankbaits
or troll three-way rigs with crawlers. White Crappie - No Report: Look for crappies in the backwaters. Vertical jig with
minnows or float minnows under a bobber around brush piles.
Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 8.02 feet at Lock and Dam 17 above New Boston and is rising. Current predictions have the river reaching 11.2
feet next week. Channel Catfish - Good: Use stink bait or shad around brush piles and snags along side channels and the main channel. Try also around the wing dams. White
Crappie - No Report: Look for crappies in the backwaters.
Try fishing around brush piles with minnows. Walleye - No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing dams. Cast crankbaits or troll three-way rigs with crawlers.
Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 4.83 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and is rising. Current predictions have the river reaching 7.1 feet
next week. We have not received any fishing report information for this pool this week. Channel Catfish - No Report: Use dip baits or shad around brush piles and snags along the side channels and main channel.
River stages have been on the rise with the recent
heavy rains. Main channel water temperature is around 76 degrees. Water clarity
is fair to poor. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.
Big
Hollow Lake
Bluegill - Slow: Anglers are picking up a few bluegills at around six feet. The
fish seem to be pretty scattered, so move around or drift troll to find them. Largemouth
Bass - Fair: Anglers are catching some decent bass early in the morning in
the flooded timber on soft plastics.
Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River)
The Iowa at Wapello has been slowly rising for the
last couple of days and according to NOAA's forecast is going to continue to
rise for a few more days to a couple more feet. Channel Catfish - No Report: With the rising water, it’s a good time to try the mouths of some of the
feeder creeks. Use caution when navigating a rising river.
Lake Belva Deer
Water temperature is in the upper 70's. Black Crappie - Fair: Try slow trolling or drift fishing by the beach and
towards the dam. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Work the tops of the mounds at the upper end of the lake. Channel Catfish - Good: Anglers continue to catch the catfish. Try along the rip-rap
around the lower end of the lake and on top of the mounds at the upper end.
Lake Darling
Water temperature was 76 degrees on Aug. 30. Water
level is up because of the heavy rains, but still has a green cast to it. Bluegill - Fair: Drift for crappies; don’t be surprised if you pick
up a few nice bluegills, too. Black Crappie - Fair: Drift over the rock piles in 8 to 12 feet of water. Channel Catfish - Good: Anglers continue to catch catfish. It’s a good time to fish the
weirs in the in-lake silt dams as the water from the recent and forecasted
rains come into the lake.
Lost Grove Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: Deep trolling (20 to 25 feet) continues to produce
some crappies. With the water starting to cool down, hopefully it won’t be too
long before they start moving shallow again. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Anglers are catching some pretty nice bass in the flooded timber.
Skunk River (Coppock to Mississippi River)
The water level in the Skunk jumped up a couple of
feet with the rain earlier this week, but is headed back down until we get more
rain forecast for the end of this week. Channel Catfish - Slow: Haven’t seen much angler activity on the Skunk River this week, but
up and down river levels make it hard to figure out what the fish are doing day
to day.
For more information on the above lakes and rivers, call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.
Central Park Lake
The lake is refilling and fingerling fish have been stocked.
Coralville Reservoir
The lake level is at 684 feet and is predicted to
hold at this level for the near future.
Channel Catfish - Fair: Drift cut bait in the channel. Black Crappie – Slow: Try bright jigs and/or minnows along steep rock banks.
Diamond Lake
Black Crappie - Slow: Try small jigs fished over deeper brush. Most fish are 8-9 inches. Channel Catfish - Good: Stink bait works best. Some limits are being
reported.
Kent Park Lake
The lake is drained for a lake renovation project currently underway. It is scheduled to be completed next spring.
Lake Macbride
Only motors under 10hp may be used at no-wake speed until Sept. 4. Black Crappie - Fair: Use jigs or minnows around brush in 10-15 feet
of water. Walleye - Fair: Troll crawlers or crankbaits in 7-14 feet of
water. Largemouth Bass - Fair. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Fair: Try topwater baits early and late then troll
during the day. Bluegill - Fair. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try cut bait or stink bait. Evenings are best.
Otter
Creek Lake
There is quite a bit of vegetation in the boat ramp canal and some in
sections of other shorelines. Channel Catfish - Good: Try stink bait,
especially towards evening. Many 3-5 pound fish are reported. Yellow Bass
- Fair: Use small jigs spinners or live bait.
Pleasant Creek Lake
The lake is still 4' low. Use caution on the lake,
as many of the new rock and wood structures are becoming submerged. There are two
docks in at the main ramp and the fish cleaning station is open. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use cut bait or stink bait in the evenings.
Wapsipinicon
River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)
Channel Catfish - Good: Stink bait works best.
For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Des
Moines River (Ottumwa to Farmington)
Channel
Catfish - Fair: Use chicken liver or night crawlers around log jams and slack water areas.
Lake
Keomah
Bluegill - Fair: Use small
jigs tipped with live bait near shoreline and around the fishing jetties. Black Crappie - Fair: Use a jig tipped with a minnow around deep structure. Channel
Catfish - Fair: Use stink bait or chicken liver in 4-8 feet of water. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try spinnerbaits or crankbaits around the fishing jetties and
along the dam. Switch to rubber worms and deeper structure as the day heats up.
Lake
Miami
Largemouth
Bass
- Fair: Try topwater lures in the early mornings and evenings then switch to
rubber worms or crankbaits during the hotter parts of the day. Target the cedar
tree piles and the fishing jetties. Bluegill
- Fair: Use jigs tipped with a chunk of night crawler along the rip-rapped shorelines, the
jetties and around the cedar tree piles.
Lake Sugema
The south boat ramp off of Highway 2 is closed due to a parking lot
construction project. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use topwater lures in the early mornings and evenings. As the day
progresses, target deeper structure using rubber worms or deep diving
crankbaits. Black
Crappie - Slow: Use jigs tipped with a minnow in deeper water
structure. Try also a slip bobber over a minnow. Bluegill
-
Fair: Try live bait tipped on a small jig around the shorelines and fishing jetties.
Lake Wapello
Channel
Catfish - Fair: Use chicken liver or stink bait around areas with rip-rapped shorelines or rock piles. Don’t fish too deep as the lake will stratify; target 6-8 feet of water. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use rubber worms or crawdad imitating crankbaits around deep structure. Try also topwater lures around the cedar tree piles in the morning. Bluegill - Fair: Try small
jigs tipped with a chunk of night crawler around aquatic vegetation or near the fishing jetties. White
Crappie - Slow: Use jigs tipped with a minnow around deeper structure and the
outer edge of the weed line.
Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 904.48 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. Channel Catfish
- Good: Use stink bait or chicken liver. White
Crappie - Fair: Try minnows around deeper structure. Trolling small crankbaits can also catch suspended crappies. Wiper
(Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Troll crankbaits or night crawler rigs along rocky shorelines and around rock
piles. Try also vertical jigging in the same areas. Walleye - Fair: Use night crawler rigs
or troll crankbaits around rock piles and submerged points.
Red Haw Lake
Largemouth Bass - Good: Cast the shorelines in the early part of the day and then fish deeper
structure as the day warms up. Use rubber worms or crankbaits. Topwater lures can be productive along the lily
pads. Black
Crappie - Fair: Try tube jigs along the shorelines. Bluegill
- Fair: Use small jigs tipped with live bait around the shorelines and fishing jetties. Channel
Catfish - Fair: Try night crawlers or chicken liver around the fishing jetties and the outer edge of the lily pads.
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.
Big
Creek Lake
Walleye - Fair: Troll shallow diving shad imitating crankbaits or spinner rigs with
night crawlers with little weight to fish 3 to 10 feet deep. The northern half
of the lake is best during the summer; start from the beach up to the
marina boat ramp. Wiper
(Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Troll and cast crankbaits, spoons or in-line spinners in the main lake. Look for schools of fish busting shad on the surface.
Des
Moines River (Stratford to Saylorville Lake)
Channel
Catfish - Good: The channel catfishing is very good in the Des Moines
River using stink baits. Water levels are good again for boats.
Red
Rock Reservoir
White
Bass
- Fair: Anglers are reporting better white bass fishing than what has been
happening so far this summer. Look for feeding activity on the surface and
troll these areas with shallow diving shad imitating crankbaits or spoons.
Fishing below the dam has also been fair to good for a mix of white bass and
hybrid striped bass.
Rock
Creek Lake
White Crappie - Good: Drift or slowly troll jigs or
minnows in the lower half of the lake in the mornings to just after noon.
Saylorville
Reservoir
White
Bass
- Fair: A summer white bass bite has finally picked up. Look for schools of
small gizzard shad breaking the surface and cast or troll shad imitating
crankbaits or spoons in these areas. Channel Catfish - Fair: Decent catches of channel catfish are coming from the pool below
the Big Creek spillway using cut bait or dead shad.
For more information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers, call Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.
Cold Springs District Farm Ponds
Water clarity may have been affected by heavy rains
earlier this week. Always get permission to fish privately-owned ponds. Bluegill - Slow: Anglers report slow fishing in ponds after heavy
rains this week. Try fishing 4 feet below the surface for suspended fish in the summer. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Largemouth bass are very active and can be caught with a variety of lures and plugs. Fish shallow early and late and go deeper during the middle of the day. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try cut bait or commercial stink baits along weed edges and around structure. Black Crappie - Slow: Find crappies suspended and around structure.
Farm
Creek Lake
Farm Creek has a good fish population with quality sized panfish.
Water quality is good. Black Crappie -
Fair: Fish the creek channel for black crappie up to 12 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Drift or slow troll
along the creek channel for bluegills up to 9.5 inches. Largemouth Bass - No Report: There is a good population of 13 to 15
inch bass in the lake.
Lake Anita
Fishing has slowed a bit this week. Water temperatures are in the upper 70's. Water clarity is good. Bluegill - Slow: Drift or slow troll small jigs tipped with crawler for bluegills up to 9 inches. Black Crappie - Fair: The early morning crappie bite is best. Slow troll small jigs tipped
with power bait to catch 9 to 11 inch fish. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Throw spinners along the vegetation and plastics around deep
structure during the day
Lake Manawa
Lake Manawa is a good destination for summer catfishing. Channel Catfish - Fair: Channel catfish have slowed a bit, but anglers
report catching fish around Boy Scout Island. Fish will average 2 to 5 pounds. White Crappie - No Report: There is a good population of white crappies in Manawa.
Orient
Lake
Water clarity at Orient has improved. Bluegill - Good: Use small
jigs and worms. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are actively
feeding below the rock sediment dam. Cast liver crawlers or cut bait next to
the current. Black Bullhead - Good: Quality sized bullheads can be
caught with night crawlers below the rock sediment structure.
Prairie Rose Lake
Prairie Rose will offer good panfishing. The lake has quality sized bluegills and acceptable size crappies. The water clarity has improved to 2 feet this week. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills are in a summer pattern. Look for fish around underwater reefs and drift/troll open water areas. Bluegills in Prairie Rose are 8 to 9.5 inches. Largemouth Bass - Fair: There is a large population of 12 inch bass in the lake that offers fun catch and release fishing.
Viking Lake
A few catfish are still being caught at Viking. A
few crappies are being caught in the deep brush piles. Channel Catfish - Fair: Cast cut bait or liver around brush piles for catfish up to 10 pounds. Early morning bite is best. Black Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught in the deeper tree piles. Sorting is needed for larger fish. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Jig plastics in deeper brush piles during the day and cast shallow structure early morning for largemouth bass of all sizes.
Water temperatures have cooled this week into the
upper 70's. Anglers are still finding panfish in open water and around deep
structure. Catfishing has been good around the district. For more information, contact the Cold Springs office at 712-769-2587.
Green
Valley Lake
Largemouth
Bass
- Good: Catch largemouth bass up to 18 inches with crankbaits and larger plastic lures. Bluegill - Good: Catch bluegill
up to 8 inches with night crawlers and small plastic lures closer to shore throughout the
lake. Black Crappie -Good: Find crappies up to 9 inches near vegetation
and areas with sunken structures.
Lake
Icaria
Channel
Catfish - Good: Channel catfish of all sizes have been caught using
night crawlers or cut bait fished along rocky shoreline areas and cedar tree brush piles. Bluegill -
Fair: Catch bluegill up to 8 inches with worms fished along the fish mounds or fishing jetties.
Little
River Watershed Lake
Largemouth
Bass - Slow: Catch largemouth bass up to 18 inches using crankbaits or
finesse plastics fished near
cedar tree brush piles or rock reefs. Bluegill - Slow: Catch bluegills up to 9 inches with worms fished along cedar tree brush piles. Channel
Catfish - Slow: Catch channel catfish up to 10 pounds with night crawlers or cut bait fished
along rocky shoreline areas.
Three
Mile Lake
Largemouth Bass - Good: Catch largemouth bass up to 15 inches with crankbaits and
plastics in or near the cedar tree piles or rock structures. Black Crappie
- Fair: Catch crappies up to 9 inches using minnows and small jigs fished near
the jetties. Bluegill - Good: Catch bluegills up to 8 inches with night
crawlers fished near shore. Walleye - Fair: Catch walleyes up to 19
inches with crankbaits near the fish mounds.
Twelve
Mile Creek Lake
Largemouth
Bass
- Fair: Largemouth bass of all sizes have been caught with crankbaits or finesse plastics fished along cedar tree brush piles. Bluegill - Good: Catch
bluegill up to 8 inches with worms fished near cedar tree brush piles or shallow bays. Walleye
- Good: Catch walleyes of all sizes using crankbaits and spinners fished in 10 feet of water. Black
Crappie - Good: Catch crappie up to 9 inches with jigs or minnows fished along weedl ines or the flooded timber.
Water temperature in most district lakes is in the lower 80's to upper 70's. The district includes Page, Taylor, Adams, Union,
Ringgold, Decatur, Clarke and Madison counties. For more information, please call the Mount Ayr
Fisheries office at 641-464-3108.
Missouri
River (Sioux City to Little Sioux)
Channel Catfish - Good: During high water levels, try below flooded wing dams and close to the bank or slower flooded areas
from shore. Smaller tributaries should also be good, where channel catfish will
find refuge from faster currents. Use worms, cut bait, or dip baits. Freshwater Drum - Fair: Try using live bait rigs or
jigs tipped with worms along the bank and around tributary stream or rivers
where they join the Missouri River. Blue Catfish - Good: Anglers report catching a few blue catfish on rod and reel and
trotlines. Use live bait or fresh cut bait with live bait rigs along wing dam
tips or in or close to the main channel of the Missouri River. Flathead
Catfish - Good: Flathead catfish are being caught on trotlines and rod
and reel using live baits (chubs, bullheads, green sunfish). Fish below wing
dam tip, near rock structures, logs and along the bank with deeper water
nearby.
Missouri
River (Little Sioux to Council Bluffs)
Channel Catfish - Good: During high water levels, try below flooded wing dams and close to the bank or slower flooded areas from shore. Smaller tributaries should also be good, where channel catfish will find refuge from faster currents. Use worms, cut bait, or dip baits. Freshwater Drum - Fair: Try using live bait rigs or jigs tipped with worms along the bank and around tributary stream or rivers where they join the Missouri River. Blue Catfish - Good: Anglers report catching blue catfish on rod and reel and trotlines. Use live bait or fresh cut bait along wing dam tips or in or close to the main channel of the Missouri
River. Flathead Catfish - Fair: Flathead catfish are being caught on trotlines and rod and reel using live baits (chubs, bullheads, green sunfish). Fish below wing dam tip, near rock structures, logs and along the bank with deeper water nearby.
Missouri
River (Council Bluffs to Missouri State Line)
Channel Catfish - Good: During high water levels, try below flooded wing dams and close to the bank or slower flooded areas from shore. Smaller tributaries should also be good, where channel catfish will find refuge from faster currents. Use worms, cut bait, or dip baits. Freshwater Drum - Fair: Try using live bait rigs or jigs tipped with worms along the bank and around tributary stream or rivers where they join the Missouri River. Blue Catfish - Good: Anglers are catching a few blue catfish on rod and reel and trotlines with
fresh cut bait or live bait. Try by the wing dam tips, close to or in the main channel of the
Missouri River for your best chance at getting bigger blue catfish. Flathead
Catfish - Fair: Flathead catfish are being caught on trotlines and rod
and reel using live baits (chubs, bullheads, green sunfish). Fish below wing
dam tip, near rock structures, logs and along the bank with deeper water
nearby.
The Missouri River at Decatur, Nebraska is at 28.32 ft. /63,700 cfs./75
degrees Fahrenheit. Missouri River water temperatures are up one degree from
last week and water levels are down 0.43 feet. Water levels are up due to
recent rains in the Missouri River watershed and release of water from
reservoirs. Anglers and boaters are advised to use caution going on the
Missouri River. Fishing has been good to fair.
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