05-19-2004, 04:24 AM
Northwest
Muskie season is closed until May 20 on Spirit Lake, East Okoboji and West Okoboji lakes in Dickinson County.
Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Fishing is good for walleyes. Use spinners tipped with night crawlers or a jig and minnow in 12 to 18 feet of water. Anglers are catching a lot of sub-legal fish. Night fishing off the docks or wading is producing some keeper sized fish.
West Okoboji (Dickinson): Anglers are finding some walleyes during the day. Look for clumps of weeds in 14 to 18 feet of water. Live bait rigs and slip bobbers with minnows, night crawlers or leeches can all produce at times. Fish slowly. The night bite is best from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Long-line trolling crankbaits will produce best. The panfish action is stable. Fish the Harbor, Triboji or the canals on the Miller's Bay side. Northern pike action is good using a jig and minnow. Smallmouth bass fishing is good on the rock piles. Use small grubs or tubes tipped with a minnow.
East Okoboji (Dickinson): Anglers are sorting through a lot of sub-legal sized walleyes to catch a keeper. Fish the trestle pilings for panfish.
Silver Lake (Dickinson): Fishing is good for walleyes by trolling crankbaits or spinners tipped with a night crawler.
Lost Island (Clay and Palo Alto): Some nice walleyes are being caught in the evening. Try using a slip bobber and minnow or trolling crankbaits.
Lake Pahoja (Lyon): Good numbers of nice sized channel catfish are available. Traditional catfish baits continue to produce excellent action.
Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Crappie fishing is fair in Town Bay and the marina using mini jigs and a bobber. Yellow bass are fair along the east shore. Fishing is good for 8-inch bullheads at the inlet.
Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Walleye fishing is fair along the south shoreline. Channel catfish are good on shad entrails.
Brushy Creek (Webster): Bass are in shallow around the edge of the lake. Any type of plastic lure, minnow or bass bait is producing fish. Anglers are catching a few crappies and bluegills on live bait.
Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Yellow bass fishing is fair around Dodge's Point, the Island and outlet. Use small jigs and minnows casting into the shoreline. Walleye fishing is fair using live bait and jigs or trolling crankbaits. Bullhead fishing is fair. Use night crawlers on the bottom and fish from sunset into the early evening.
Beeds Lake (Franklin): Anglers are catching crappies by drift fishing in 12 to 18 feet of water using small jigs and minnows. Most of the crappies are 7 to 9 inches.
Rice Lake (Worth and Winnebago): Bullhead fishing is good using night crawlers on the windy shorelines.
Silver Lake (Worth): Bullhead fishing is good using night crawlers.
Upper Pine - Lower Pine (Hardin): Crappie fishing is good. Use minnows and small jigs around the downed trees.
For more information on fishing in northwest Iowa, call the regional office in Spirit Lake at 712-336-1840.
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Muskie season is closed until May 20 on Spirit Lake, East Okoboji and West Okoboji lakes in Dickinson County.
Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Fishing is good for walleyes. Use spinners tipped with night crawlers or a jig and minnow in 12 to 18 feet of water. Anglers are catching a lot of sub-legal fish. Night fishing off the docks or wading is producing some keeper sized fish.
West Okoboji (Dickinson): Anglers are finding some walleyes during the day. Look for clumps of weeds in 14 to 18 feet of water. Live bait rigs and slip bobbers with minnows, night crawlers or leeches can all produce at times. Fish slowly. The night bite is best from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Long-line trolling crankbaits will produce best. The panfish action is stable. Fish the Harbor, Triboji or the canals on the Miller's Bay side. Northern pike action is good using a jig and minnow. Smallmouth bass fishing is good on the rock piles. Use small grubs or tubes tipped with a minnow.
East Okoboji (Dickinson): Anglers are sorting through a lot of sub-legal sized walleyes to catch a keeper. Fish the trestle pilings for panfish.
Silver Lake (Dickinson): Fishing is good for walleyes by trolling crankbaits or spinners tipped with a night crawler.
Lost Island (Clay and Palo Alto): Some nice walleyes are being caught in the evening. Try using a slip bobber and minnow or trolling crankbaits.
Lake Pahoja (Lyon): Good numbers of nice sized channel catfish are available. Traditional catfish baits continue to produce excellent action.
Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Crappie fishing is fair in Town Bay and the marina using mini jigs and a bobber. Yellow bass are fair along the east shore. Fishing is good for 8-inch bullheads at the inlet.
Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Walleye fishing is fair along the south shoreline. Channel catfish are good on shad entrails.
Brushy Creek (Webster): Bass are in shallow around the edge of the lake. Any type of plastic lure, minnow or bass bait is producing fish. Anglers are catching a few crappies and bluegills on live bait.
Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Yellow bass fishing is fair around Dodge's Point, the Island and outlet. Use small jigs and minnows casting into the shoreline. Walleye fishing is fair using live bait and jigs or trolling crankbaits. Bullhead fishing is fair. Use night crawlers on the bottom and fish from sunset into the early evening.
Beeds Lake (Franklin): Anglers are catching crappies by drift fishing in 12 to 18 feet of water using small jigs and minnows. Most of the crappies are 7 to 9 inches.
Rice Lake (Worth and Winnebago): Bullhead fishing is good using night crawlers on the windy shorelines.
Silver Lake (Worth): Bullhead fishing is good using night crawlers.
Upper Pine - Lower Pine (Hardin): Crappie fishing is good. Use minnows and small jigs around the downed trees.
For more information on fishing in northwest Iowa, call the regional office in Spirit Lake at 712-336-1840.
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