|
Top Iowa Fishing Spots for the Week of July 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.
Black Hawk Lake
Water temperatures are in the low 80's. Bluegill - Slow: Use crawlers fished under a bobber in Town Bay off the stone piers, the floating dock, and the fish house.Try also the rock pile off Gunshot Hill as fish have moved deeper. Walleye - Slow: Use leeches and crankbaits along the Ice House Point shoreline or the rock piles off Cottonwood Point and in the east basin. Mornings and evenings are best. Channel Catfish - Fair: Anglers have had luck during evenings and night using crawlers or stink bait fished on the bottom. Try near the stone piers along the Ice House Point shoreline near the inlet bridge and the rock piles off Shotgun Hill and Cottonwood Point. Any rocky shoreline should be good places to target catfish this time of year. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Catch fish about anywhere in the lake along shore using traditional bass lures and topwater baits. Try the Ice House point shore, east shore near the outlet, and the inlet bay near the inlet bridge.
Brushy Creek Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: Use minnow or crawler on a jig fished near submerged structure in 5-10 feet of water. Bluegill - Fair: Use crawlers or waxworms on small jig fished under a bobber near shore and submerged structure. Largemouth Bass - Good: Catch bass along the shore near weed lines using traditional bass lures. Try spinners, weedless and topwater lures.
North Twin Lake
Water temperature is in the low 80's. Walleye - Fair: Early mornings or evenings are best. Fish areas where walleye gather to feed on baitfish near vegetation and inlets.
Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
White Bass - Fair: Use leeches, crawlers and twisters. Walleye - Fair: Try leeches or pull crankbaits along the dredge cuts on the east side of the lake and to the west of the big island. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try cut bait, stink bait or crawlers fished on the bottom. Target areas with rocky structure.
For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Beeds Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: Drift fish a small tube jig to catch the suspended fish. Yellow Bass – Fair.
Bluebill Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Drift fish the edge of the vegetation with a small hair jig or tube jig. Channel Catfish – Fair.
Clear Lake
The water temperature is in the upper 70's. Walleye - Fair: Anglers are having success slip bobber fishing the rock reefs with a jig and leech and fishing under docks with a minnow. Channel Catfish - Good: Drift fish the rock reefs with a jig and crawlers. Yellow Bass - Good: Fish the edge of vegetation in 4 to 6 feet of water with a small piece of crawler or leech.
Crystal Lake
Largemouth Bass - Good: Try spinnerbaits fished on the edge of the vegetation. Black Crappie - Fair: Drift fish a minnow or tube jig in the dredge cut.
Little Wall Lake
Catfish are biting. Try fishing a live chub or stink bait in the evenings. Flathead Catfish – Fair. Channel Catfish – Good.
For information on the lakes and rivers in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
Center Lake
Bluegill - Good: Anglers report catching large angler acceptable sized fish.
East Okoboji Lake
Bluegill - Good: Fish have moved to deeper water; fish deeper weed lines or deep rock piles. Yellow Bass - Good: Find fish in 12 feet of water on the south end of the lake; move often to find active fish.
Five Island Lake
Channel Catfish - Good: Local bait shop reports a good bite with large fish being caught. Walleye - Fair: Some fish are being caught.
Lake Pahoja
Bluegill - No Report: Recent surveys show good numbers of angler acceptable size and larger bluegill in the lake.
Lost Island Lake
Walleye - Fair: Report of 14 – 18 inch fish being caught. Yellow Bass - Fair: Anglers report that the yellow bass action has started. Channel Catfish - Good: Good numbers of large angler acceptable size fish continue to be caught. Use cut bait to provide plenty of pole bending action.
Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Yellow Perch - No Report: Recent surveys show good numbers of fish approaching 11 inches. Channel Catfish - No Report: Recent surveys show good numbers of 16 - 23.9 inch fish in the lake.
Spirit Lake
Walleye - Good: Report of walleyes being caught in the flats; don’t overlook the weed edges. Use leeches and slip bobbers or troll crankbaits. Yellow Perch - Good: Good numbers of fish are being caught. Try a yellow and white mini jig tipped with wigglers fished in the outside edges of the weed beds. Move often to find active fish.
Trumbull Lake
Northern Pike - Good: Cast traditional northern baits below the spillway; fish areas with calm spots.
West Okoboji Lake
Bluegill - Good: Fish the outside weed edges for larger sized bluegill. Black Crappie - Good: Fish weed lines that have a drop-off. Use a mini jig tipped with a minnow.
For more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.
Cedar River (above Nashua)
Water levels are falling. Water clarity is improving. Use caution when boating; submersed hazards are not visible. Channel Catfish - Good: Use worms and cheese or stink baits fished on the river bottom. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Use spinnerbaits or crankbaits fished deep. Walleye - Fair: Try a jig and twister tail or worm fished in the eddies and slack water.
Decorah District Streams
Wild parsnip is drying out; use caution when walking through this plant to get to your favorite stream. Keep your arms and legs covered to avoid nasty blisters. A few streams are not stocked in July and August; water temperatures tend to get too warm for trout. Check the 2019 trout stream stocking calendar or call the stocking number at 563-927-5736 to find out when your favorite trout stream will be stocked. Brown Trout - Good: Brown trout are feasting on terrestrial insects; try grasshopper or cricket flies. Also try crayfish. Rainbow Trout - Good: A crappie or bluegill set-up works great for trout fishing. Put a piece of cheese or small piece of worm on a hook under a bobber in a good hole and wait. Brook Trout - Fair: With dirtier water, try using woolly buggers, San Juan worms or other subsurface flies and lures.
Lake Hendricks
Water temperatures are in the low 80's. Clarity is improving, but an algae bloom will limit visibility. Fish are sitting higher in the water column. Black Crappie - Fair: Crappie are hit or miss. A slow troll might get one to come to a hook. Bluegill - Fair: Find fish in deeper water on the edge of weed beds. Use a small piece of worm under a bobber. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use topwater lures fished in the edge of weeds. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are biting. Use worms, stink bait or cheese baits. Leave your bait on the bottom until you feel a tug; set the hook.
Lake Meyer
Water temperatures are in the low 80's. Water clarity is excellent. Anglers reporting hit or miss action for panfish. Bluegill - Fair. Black Crappie - Fair. Largemouth Bass - Fair. Channel Catfish - Good.
Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water remains dirty and flows are high. Use care when paddling; submersed logs and rocks are not visible. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Use spinnerbaits or jig tipped with plastic tails fished in the deeper pools and eddies. Walleye - Fair: Fish undercut ledges and brush piles.
Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water remains dirty. Use caution on the water; high flows and limited visibility can cause dangerous conditions for paddlers. Smallmouth Bass - Fair. Walleye - Fair.
Volga Lake
Water temperatures are in the mid 80's. A green algal bloom is present. With warmer temperatures, dissolved oxygen is limiting depth availability for fish. Bluegill - Fair: Fish found at depths of 6 feet or less. Use a small piece of worm on a small hook under a bobber. Black Crappie - Fair: Slowly troll through the lake to find suspended fish. Largemouth Bass - Fair. Channel Catfish - Excellent.
Typical summer weather for the weekend. Humidity returns with temperatures in the mid 80's for highs to 60's for lows. Flows remain high on area rivers. Visibility is improving, but remains limited on many streams. Use care when on any waterbody. Fish action slowed with higher temperatures. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.
Mississippi River Pool 12
Water levels are rising, but should recede later this week. Levels are in action flood stage and are near 13.2 feet at the Dubuque Lock and Dam and 15.1 feet at the RR bridge. Water clarity is improving. The water temperature is 79 degrees. Many boat ramps still have flood debris on them. Please be patient for cleanup efforts at ramps and parks. Channel Catfish - Good: We are near the tail end of the channel catfish spawn; still try to float bobbers along rock lines and use leaches for bait. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use flashy spinners in the tailwater areas. Try also fishing frog imitation lures in vegetated areas when the weather gets hot. Walleye - No Report: When conditions are good, we see a lot of walleye being caught. Most anglers are using crankbaits to get to hungry fish. When water falls a few more feet expect, walleye action will pick up. Black Crappie - Fair: A few crappie are being taken from assorted backwaters where flow is reduced. Freshwater Drum - Excellent: Large freshwater drum can be taken on a crayfish and egg sinker combo fished in moderate current areas. Flathead Catfish - Good: Lots of bank poles are being set with live bait for flathead cats.
Mississippi River Pool 13
Water levels are rising, but should recede later this week. Bellevue tailwater is near 13.7 feet at Lock and Dam 12. Water clarity is fair. The water temperature is 80 degrees. Most boat ramps are closed or have debris on them. The Bellevue City Ramp is open; the DNR ramp has water on it once again. Please be patient for cleanup efforts at ramps and parks. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Clear flooded areas like Spring Lake have been good. Green Island wildlife area has been good for bass at times this year. White Bass - Good: Small white bass are being caught in the tailwaters with small spinners. Channel Catfish - Good: We are nearing the end of the channel catfish spawn; float a bobber and leach along rock lines for late spawning channel cats. Bluegill - Good: Good numbers of bluegills are starting to be caught out of slack water areas. Walleye - Fair: Expect the crankbait bite of walleyes to pick up if the water falls a foot or two. Pumpkinseed - Good: Good catches of this colorful sunfish are being reported in clear backwater areas and in the Green Island wildlife area. Simple bobber and worm works best. Black Crappie - Fair: Anglers are catching a few black crappie out of backwater areas using minnows. Freshwater Drum - Excellent: Large freshwater drum can be taken on crayfish in moderate current areas. Flathead Catfish - Good: Lots of bank poles are being used for flathead right now. Most anglers are using live green sunfish or bullheads for bait.
Mississippi River Pool 14
Water levels are rising, but should recede this week. Levels are near 13.2 feet at Fulton Lock and Dam, 17.3 feet at Camanche and 9.1 feet at LeClaire. Water clarity is fair. The water temperature is around 80 degrees. Many boat ramps will have flood debris on them. Please be patient for cleanup efforts at ramps and parks. White Bass - Fair: Use small spinners in the tailwater areas. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Finding clear water in the upper ends of backwaters can yield some nice largemouth bass. Try also fishing frog imitation lures in heavily vegetated areas. Channel Catfish - Good: Catfish are abundant and easily caught in flooded conditions. Fish near the shorelines, especially in rock habitats. The spawning season is nearing an end for channel catfish, but you can still catch some by floating a bobber and leach along rock lines. Freshwater Drum - Excellent: Use a crayfish fished with an egg sinker in moderate current areas. Flathead Catfish - Good: Flathead catfish prefer to eat live fish; use a bullhead or green sunfish near large river snags.
Mississippi River Pool 15
Water levels are near 13.1 feet at Rock Island. Levels are back in action flood stages and will rise this week. Water clarity is fair. The water temperature is around 81 degrees. Some boat ramps are flooded or will have debris on them. Please be patient for cleanup efforts at ramps and parks. Channel Catfish - Fair: Float a bobber and leach along rock piles as the water recedes. Channel cats are nearing the end of their spawning season. Freshwater Drum - Good: Lots of drum are in the system; use a simple egg sinker and worm rig in moderate current areas.
Water levels are on the rise, but should start to recede later this week. It has been a tough year; it will take some time to get all the boat ramps and campgrounds open. Some will remain closed or will have debris on them for a while. If you have any fishing questions, please contact the Bellevue Fisheries Station 563-872-4976.
Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage is 13.03 feet at Lock and Dam 15 in Davenport and forecast to reach 13.6 feet by Tuesday. Flood stage is 15 feet at Davenport. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use stink bait fished around brush piles and snags along the main channel or side channels. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Some largemouth bass are being caught in Sunset Marina. Bluegill - Fair: Some bluegills are being caught in Sunset Marina. Try fishing with pieces of worm or waxworms under a bobber. White Bass - Slow: Some white bass are being caught in Sunset Marina casting jigs and twister tails.
Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage is 11.99 feet at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine and forecast to reach 12.9 feet by Tuesday. Flood stage is 15 feet. River stage is 13.84 feet at Muscatine and forecast to reach 14.7 feet by Tuesday. Flood stage at Muscatine is 16 feet. The gates are still out of the water at the lock and dam. Kilpeck and Big Timber boat ramps are still closed. We have not received any fishing report information for this pool this week. Channel Catfish - No Report: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags. Try fishing with nightcrawlers or stink bait.
Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 13.08 feet at Lock and Dam 17 above New Boston and forecast to reach 14 feet by Tuesday. Flood stage is 15 feet at Lock and Dam 17. River stage is 12.67 feet at Keithsburg and forecast to reach 13.1 feet by Tuesday. Flood stage at Keithsburg is 14 feet. The Toolsboro landing is closed due to high water. We have not received any fishing report information for this pool this week due to the high water.
Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 9.11 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and forecast to reach 9.7 feet by Tuesday. Flood stage is 10 feet at Lock and Dam 18. River stage is 14.16 feet at Burlington and forecast to reach 14.6 feet by Tuesday. Flood stage at Burlington is 15 feet. We have not received any fishing report information for this pool this week.
River levels have been rising once again due to recent heavy rains. Some boat ramps are still closed due to high water. Main channel water clarity is poor. Main channel water temperature is around 81 degrees. We have not received much for fishing reports this week. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19 contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.
Big Hollow Lake
The fish have moved out deep with some bass moving in shallow before the sun gets things hot. Largemouth Bass - Good: Anglers are catching more bass in the early morning hours since it started to cool off some. Bluegill - Fair: With the heat, switch to fishing early mornings and late evening. Concentrate your efforts around the brush piles near the upper end and the flooded timber near deep water at the lower end. Black Crappie - Slow: Look for crappies out in the trees and brush piles in 6 to 7 feet of water. The bite slowed some since last week, maybe because the bluegill bite is drawing more anglers. Channel Catfish - Good: Fish near the rocks on the dam jetties and island to catch some nice catfish.
Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River)
The Iowa River is rising slowly due to some heavy rains upstream on both the Iowa and Cedarn rivers; the rise will only be by a few inches. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try stink bait or grass frogs this time of year. Flathead Catfish - Fair: Flatheads are mostly done spawning and are starting to get back on the feed.
Lake Belva Deer
Water temperatures remain in the low 80's. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Look for bass around the mounds in the deeper water at the upper end and around the rip-rap at the lower end of the lake. Early morning or late evening is best. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are out deep. Start out in 10 to 12 feet of water early in the morning. Channel Catfish - Fair: Most catfish have moved into deeper water; start along the old creek channel.
Lake Darling
The water has cooled off a bit, but still remains in the low 80's. Angler numbers are starting to rebound with the cooler weather. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Bass are out around the rock piles and brush piles in 6-10 feet of water coming in shallower early in the morning before it gets hot. Bluegill - Fair: Most bluegills have moved off into deeper water (8-10 feet) around the rock piles and brush piles. Channel Catfish - Fair: Catfish have wrapped up the spawn. Try drift fishing with cut bait along the old creek channel in the lake. Black Crappie - Fair: Slow drift or troll over the habitat in 10 to 12 feet of water. Early morning or late evening is best.
Lost Grove Lake
Water temperature is holding in the low 80's. Starting to see more anglers with the nicer weather. Largemouth Bass - Good: Anglers continue to catch bass; work them out along the edges of the weed beds and around the trees and brush piles in 4-6 feet of water using soft plastics. Black Crappie - Good: Anglers continue to pick up crappies out around edges of the flooded timber in 8 to 10 feet of water. Try vertical jigging or using a slip bobber and minnow. Bluegill - Fair: The hot weather has put a quick end to the spawn. Look for the bluegills around the deeper habitat now. Channel Catfish - Fair: The spawn is mostly over. Start working the areas below the flow under the causeway and along the creek channel.
Skunk River (Coppock to Mississippi River)
There is a little bump in the river level moving through due to some heavy rains upstream, but it won't last long. Channel Catfish - Fair: Some decent catfish have been working the flats around the sandbars at night. This is also the time of the year to collect a few grass frogs for bait.
For more information on the above lake, call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.
Cedar River (Cedar Rapids to Moscow)
Channel Catfish – Good.
Central Park Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Fish up to 8 inches have been reported. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Most fish are 11-12 inches.
Central Park Pond
Located just west of Central Park Lake. Bluegill – Fair. Channel Catfish – Fair.
Coralville Reservoir
The lake level as of July 25 is is at normal summer pool of 683 feet. The boat dock is in at Mehaffey Bridge ramp. Channel Catfish – Fair: Slow troll or drift cut bait in the channel.
Diamond Lake
Channel Catfish - Good: Stink bait or chicken liver works best. Best bite is early and late in the day. Bluegill - Fair: Try worms or small jigs in deeper brush. Black Crappie - Fair: Try deeper brush or drift the basin with jigs for suspended fish.
Green Castle Lake
Walleye - Fair: Some fish are being picked up on leeches. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try rubber frogs.
Iowa Lake (Iowa County)
Bluegill - Fair: Some nice sized fish are being caught. Largemouth Bass – Slow. Black Crappie – Slow. Channel Catfish - Fair: Early and late in the day is best.
Iowa River (Marshalltown to Coralville Lake)
Channel Catfish - Good: Frogs work well as bait.
Lake Macbride
Only outboards 10 hp or less may be operated on the lake. Water temperatures are in the mid 80's. Walleye - Fair: Troll in 8-10 feet of water along rock. Black Crappie - Slow. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Sunset has been best. Look for schools feeding on the surface. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try fishing around the weed edges and shallow rock/weed. Channel Catfish - Fair. Bluegill - Fair: Target rock reefs in 8-10 feet of water or around shoreline rip-rap.
Otter Creek Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Target brush with small jigs or worms. Yellow Bass – Fair: Try small jigs, spinners or live bait. Channel Catfish - Good: Evenings have been best.
Pleasant Creek Lake
The main ramp and parking lot will be closed starting July 8 for repaving. It will most likely be closed for a couple months. Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs or worms in shallow pockets in the weeds. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Target windblown rock or drop-offs during the day; look for surface activity at sunrise/sunset.
Sand Lake
Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Fish up to 2 pounds are being caught on the surface early in the mornings. Black Crappie - Slow: A few 10-12 inch crappies are being picked up.
For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Hawthorn Lake
Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try rubber worms or spinnerbaits along the rock jetties and the face of the dam. Use topwater lures early and late in the day in the same spots. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try dead chubs or nightcrawlers in 4-8 feet of water. Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs tipped with a waxworm. Sorting is needed for larger fish.
Lake Miami
Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs fished around the fishing jetties and rip-rapped shorelines. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use rubber worms or spinnerbaits around the fishing jetties and along the face of the dam. Try also topwater lures in the mornings and evenings. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use nightcrawlers or chicken liver around the rocky shores.
Lake Sugema
Largemouth Bass - Good: Try spinnerbaits or crankbaits around rip-rapped shorelines and the fishing jetties. Use topwater lures early and late in the day. Black Crappie - Fair: Use jigs tipped with a minnow around the flooded timber and submerged structure. Keep moving until you find active fish. Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs in the open areas of the aquatic vegetation.
Lake Wapello
Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait or dead chubs along the shore. Don’t fish too deep, most lakes have stratified. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try rubber worms or spinnerbaits around rock jetties and submerged cedar trees. Try topwater lures in the same areas. Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs along the shorelines and around the aquatic vegetation.
Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 906.91 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: Try cut bait or shad sides fished in shorelines with the wind blowing into them. Black Crappie - Slow: Use jigs and minnows along rocky shores and around structure. Catch suspended with small crankbaits. Sorting is needed for larger fish. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Good: Anglers have been successful trolling crankbaits along rocky shores. Anglers are also catching wipers with slip bobbers and nightcrawlers. Walleye - Slow: Try trolling baits that imitate gizzard shad over submerged points or along rocky shores.
Red Haw Lake
Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait or dead chubs along the shorelines. Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs fished around the shores and submerged structure. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use rubber worms or spinnerbaits around brush piles and other submerged structure.
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: Walleye fishing is slower after the gizzard shad hatch. Use live bait on jigs or troll spinner rigs and shad imitating crankbaits in the upper half of the lake around road beds humps and weed edges in 10 feet of water and less. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Troll shad imitating crankbaits and spoons throughout the lake.
Des Moines River (Stratford to Saylorville Lake)
Channel Catfish - Excellent: Use stink baits or cut baits.
Don Williams Lake
Black Crappie - Good: Slowly troll jigs 3 to 6 feet deep. Good areas to troll are mid-lake between the boat ramp and the beach and from the beach north to the next bend. Largemouth Bass - Good: Catch quality 3 to 6 pound bass with shallow diving crankbaits and soft plastics around the tree falls and submerged stumps throughout the lake. Fish at depths of 8 feet and shallower.
Red Rock Reservoir
White Bass - Good: Troll spoons and crankbaits in the main lake from the marina down to the dam.
Roberts Creek Lake
White Crappie - Good: Drift jigs 3 to 6 feet deep in the lower half of the lake.
Saylorville Reservoir
White Bass - Good: Troll or cast shad imitating spoons and shallow diving crankbaits. Start from the Sandpiper boat ramp to the marina cove and out from Oak Grove Beach.
For more information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers, call Ben Dodd at 641-891-3795 or Andy Otting at 515-204-5885.
Lake Anita
Lake Anita is a good lake to try drift fishing for suspended bluegills and crappies. Fish the edge of the Lillie pads for largemouth bass. Black Crappie - Fair: A few crappie can be picked up drifting. Anglers targeting brush piles do better. Bluegill - Fair: The north arm of the lake around the road bed has been the best this week for suspended bluegill. Largemouth Bass - Good: Fishing has been good for largemouth along the vegetation edges. Channel Catfish - Fair: Dip bait has been working well on channel catfish around the jetties.
Lake Manawa
Manawa is under a no-wake restriction due to higher than normal water levels. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Troll crankbaits for best success. Channel Catfish - Good: Try dip baits fished in the windblown shoreline.
Littlefield Lake
Littlefield is a good lake to fish for catfish. Anglers are also catching quality bluegills and largemouth bass. Bluegill - Good: Drift or slow troll around cedar tree piles for bluegills up to 9 inches. Largemouth Bass - Good: Largemouth bass can be caught around the entire lake throwing a variety of lures. Channel Catfish - Good: Fish the corners of the dam and the upper end of the lake. Dip bait works best.
Prairie Rose Lake
Prairie Rose has a quality panfish population and an abundance of largemouth bass. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills seem to be associated around tree piles. Drift close or cast to find quality sized fish. Black Crappie - Slow: Troll along the dam or around brush piles to find 10 inch black crappie.
Viking Lake
Viking is being drawn-down 8 feet this summer to improve the fishery.
Anglers are finding panfish suspended mid-lake and around structure; a typical summer pattern. Catfish are being caught around rocky shores. Spinnerbaits, jigs, and top water frogs are working for largemouth bass. River levels have dropped; fishing should improve. For more information, contact the Cold Springs office at 712-769-2587.
Green Valley Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Catch bluegill up to 8 inches using small jigs or worms under a bobber fished near cedar tree brush piles or along the fishing jetties during early morning or late evening.
Little River Watershed Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Catch bluegill up to 9 inches with small jigs or nightcrawlers fished near cedar tree brush piles during early morning or late evening. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try finesse plastics or topwater baits fished in the early morning or late evening along the weed line for largemouth bass of all sizes. Channel Catfish - Fair: Catch channel catfish up to 10 pounds with nightcrawlers fished along the flooded timber.
Three Mile Lake
Walleye - Fair: Catch walleye up to 14 inches with jigs tipped with a leech or minnow fished near main lake points, fish mounds or the roadbed. Bluegill - Slow: Catch bluegill up to 9 inches with nightcrawlers or leeches under a bobber fished along cedar tree brush piles during early morning or late evening. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Try topwater baits fished early morning or late evening along the weed line for largemouth bass up to 20 inches.
Twelve Mile Creek Lake
Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try topwater baits fished along the weed line in the early morning or late evening for largemouth bass of all sizes. Black Crappie - Slow: Drift jigs in the main basin during the early morning or late evening for crappie up to 10 inches long. Bluegill - Slow: Drift jigs in the main basin during the early morning or late evening for bluegill up to 8.5 inches long.
Water temperature in most Mount Ayr district lakes is in the low 80's. For more information, please call the Mount Ayr Fisheries office at 641-464-3108.
|
