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Iowa Fishing Report - FishNews - 04-15-2008
Northeast
Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Ice conditions remain solid with 12 to 18 inches of ice in most areas. Cold weather forecast for this week should only strengthen ice. The cold weather has iced in the DNR ramp in Guttenberg and due to the ice pack open water fishing for walleye is not recommended at this time. Anglers can call the DNR office in Guttenberg for ice conditions if the weather improves. In lower Pool 11, Sunfish Lake has been very popular with slow to good fishing and some nice yellow perch being caught. In Pool 10, Bussey Lake has been good in the late afternoon for bluegills. Methodist Lake in the Sny Magill area has had mixed reports with slow to good fishing for bluegills and some nice crappies. Near Harpers Ferry, Joyce Lake is slow to good fishing with a mixed bag of bluegill and crappie and anglers have reported a few nice crappie near the spillway. In Pool 9 Shore Slough has reported good fishing and Fish Lake near New Albin has been popular.
Cedar (Black Hawk) and Shell Rock (Butler) rivers: Walleye fishing continues to be good. Fish the deeper holes with vertical jigging spoons or jigs tipped with wax worms or minnows.
Fish have been caught in most area Black Hawk County lakes, try George Wyth Lake, Big Woods Lake, South Prairie Lake, Meyer Lake and Casey Lake.
Brinker Lake (Black Hawk): Fishing has been good for crappie, bluegill and channel catfish with the most action in the early morning and before sundown. Channel catfish have been caught suspended so try jigging well off of the bottom.
Avenue of the Saints Lake (Bremer): Fishing is good for crappies and bluegills. The fish are abundant, but are on the small side.
Lake Delhi (Delaware): Bluegills and crappies are good. Delhi has a consistent bite when other lakes are slow.
Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Fishing has slowed for bluegill but crappies 7 to 10-plus inches are being caught along the south side of the lake, suspended in 5 to 8 feet of water. Anglers have been using white and pink jigs tipped with a wax worm and without. Lake Meyer has about 14 inches of ice in most areas. The best time to fish continues to be late afternoon.
Hendricks Lake (Howard): Anglers have to work to get fish, but they are catching fish using a jig tipped with a wax worm. Sorting may be necessary for larger bluegills. Hendricks Lake has about 12 inches of ice, but be careful around the aerator. Anglers are asked to use the north entrance for lake access which is located ¼ mile north of the main entrance and the first gravel road to the right.
Volga Lake (Fayette): Fishing has been slow. Try fishing a different spot if a fish does not bite right away. Also try suspending lures in 3 to 6 feet of water this time of year.
Trout streams are open and fishable.
For information on fishing in northeast Iowa, call the regional office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.
Northwest
Spirit Lake (Dickinson): A few nice yellow perch are being caught in 20 to 22 feet of water off Buffalo Run using wax worms and wigglers tipped on small spoons. Bluegill fishing is good in Trickles Slough and the North Grade using wax worms. Crappies are fair in Trickles Slough and the North Grade. A few walleyes are being caught in the evening off Buffalo Run
West Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Bluegill fishing is good in Little Millers, and Little Emerson bays. Some fish are also being caught in Smith's Bay, the North Bay and Pocahontas point. Walleye fishing is fair in Haywards Bay, Pillsbury Point, Millers Bay and the north end. Minnow style jigging baits tipped with minnow heads fished near rock humps have been best. Anglers have picked up some fish along weed lines.
Trumbull (Clay): A few nice yellow perch are being caught on the north end.
Center Lake (Dickinson): A few walleyes are being caught in the basin.
Lost Island (Palo Alto): Anglers are catching a few crappies and walleyes.
Lake Pahoja (Lyon): Crappie fishing is fair and sorting is required for larger fish. A few bluegills are being caught.
Crawford Creek (Ida): Fishing is good for 9-inch bluegill and crappie using teardrops with wax worms.
Arrowhead Lake (Sac): Fishing is fair for bluegill. Some sorting required for larger fish.
Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Walleye fishing is good. Anglers are reminded that Storm Lake has a 17 to 22-inch protected slot for walleyes.
Brushy Creek Lake (Webster): Bluegill and crappie fishing has been fair. Bluegills like a wax worm right off the bottom. Try for crappies with minnows. A few walleye have been caught jigging with a minnow.
Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Ice depths are running 20 to 22 inches. Walleye fishing has been good using minnows and jigging spoons at sunrise and sunset. Fishing in the area of the rock reefs, weed beds, and even in the mudflats are producing good catches. Remember Clear Lake has a 14-inch minimum length on walleye with only one of the fish over 22 inches and a daily limit of three. Yellow bass are hitting on small jigging spoons tipped with minnow heads. Catch rates have improved on yellow bass, especially for anglers fishing during the sunrise and sunset periods.
Blue Pit -Lester Milligan Park (Cerro Gordo): Trout were stocked for the third time into big Blue on Jan. 24, and good numbers of fish are available. Small jigging spoons tipped with wax worms or the prepared trout baits are working the best.
Beeds Lake (Franklin): Crappie and bluegill are hitting, but sorting is required for acceptable size fish. Small ice jigs tipped with minnows or wax worms work best.
Indian Lake - Eldred Sherwood Park (Hancock): Bluegill fishing is fair. Use small ice jigs tipped with wax worms for the best action.
For more information on fishing in northwest Iowa, call the regional office in Spirit Lake at 712-336-1840.
Southwest
Big Creek (Polk): Crappies are being caught using small jigs tipped with a minnow or wax worm in 30 feet of water during early morning or at dusk. Bluegills up to 9 inches are being caught fishing over the cedar tree piles on small jigs tipped with a wax worm or maggot.
Saylorville (Polk): Crappies up to 13-1/2 inches are biting small jigs tipped with a minnow fished near brush piles.
Hickory Grove (Story): Bluegills up to 8 inches are being caught fishing near structure using small jigs tipped with a wax worm.
Don Williams (Story): Bluegills up to 9 inches are being caught fishing near structure using small jigs tipped with a wax worm. Crappies up to 13 inches are being caught fish early morning and at dusk.
Contact Ben Dodd at (515) 432-2823, Ext.108, for information on the above area lakes
Fogle Lake (Ringgold): Ice conditions are good. A few bluegills and a few crappies are being caught in deeper water near structure with wax worms and minnows. Midday seems to be better for bluegill with mornings and evenings a little better for crappie.
Walnut Creek Marsh (Ringgold): Ice conditions are good. The marsh has some open water from the winter aeration system. A few nice bluegills are being caught with wax worms on the edge of the dike trench.
Lake of Three Fires (Taylor): Ice conditions are good. A few nice bluegills and crappies are being caught with wax worms and minnows.
Icaria (Adams): Ice conditions are good. A few nice bluegills and crappies are being caught with wax worms and minnows. Some walleye activity has centered on the old road bed that crosses the main arm.
Three Mile Lake (Union): Ice conditions are good. Good numbers of bluegills are being caught next to deep structure on wax worms. Crappies seem to be harder to find, but a few are being caught next to deep structure. Some perch have been caught near the pump house point.
Twelve Mile Lake (Union): Ice conditions are good. Nice bluegills are being caught with wax worms on 15 to 18 foot flats. Some walleye have been picked up on the old road.
Slip Bluff Lake (Decatur): Ice conditions are good. Bluegills and a few crappies are being caught near brushy structure in deep water.
Farm ponds have had variable reports.
Contact Gary Sobotka at (641) 464-3108 for information on the above area lakes.
Ice conditions have been reported as good with area lakes having 10 to 14 inches. Always check ice conditions frequently and be aware of potential weak ice.
Nodaway Lake (Adair): No report.
Morman Trail (Adair): Bluegills and crappie are slow with a few being caught around sunken cedar trees.
Greenfield Lake (Adair): Bluegill and crappie have been slow. Try small jigs tipped with wax worm or minnows around deep structure.
Meadow Lake (Adair): Bluegills are fair around deep structure. Crappies are slow.
Lake Anita (Cass): Fishing is good for 7 to 8-inch bluegills. The best catches have come from the flat in the south arm in 19 feet of water.
Manawa (Pottawattamie): Crappie fishing is still good with 9 to 12-inch fish being caught on jigs and minnows. A few walleyes are being caught on larger minnows on the south side of the lake. Manawa has 8 to 11 inches of ice.
Willow Lake (Harrison): Anglers have been catching 8-inch bluegills using wax worms.
Anderson Area (Montgomery): Bluegills are good with reports of 8 inch fish being caught on teardrops tipped with a wax worm.
Southwest Iowa Farm Ponds: The best fishing reports have been from privately owned small ponds for bluegill and in the larger ponds, crappie, using teardrops tipped with wax worm. Ice thickness is 10 to 12 inches.
Contact Bryan Hayes at (712) 769-2587 for information on the above area lakes.
For more information on general fishing in southwest Iowa, call the regional office in Lewis at 712-769-2587.
Southeast
Mississippi River Pools 16 to 20: Ice conditions have improved over the last week but with rain predicted early this week conditions could change. The main channel is frozen and backwaters have 5 to 6 inches of ice. Ice fishing in the backwaters has been slow to fair. Most of the good ice fishing reports have bee coming from farm ponds.
In Pool 16, anglers cannot access the tailwaters at the Marquette Street boat ramp in Davenport due to the channel freezing over. Ice fishing has been fair in the backwaters around Credit Island. In Pool 17, anglers cannot access the tailwaters at the Muscatine boat ramp due to ice conditions. Ice conditions in Big Timber are good with 5 to 6 inches of ice. Fishing has been slow. The tailwaters in Pool 18 are not accessible due to ice blocking the ramp at Toolsboro. Pool 19 and 20 had no fishing reports.
Lake Darling (Washington): There is some water on the ice but cold weather forecasted for this week should freeze this back up. Look for crappies along the creek channel in 9 to 10 feet of water. There are plenty of stake beds and pallet beds at these depths so concentrate your efforts there.
Lake Belva Deer (Keokuk): Anglers are still working over the crappies and bluegills around the south boat ramp. Look to the trees along the creek channel as another area to find fish.
Lake Geode (Henry): The lake has finally frozen, although the ice is still not very thick. The warm weather over the weekend and forecasted for early this week won't help the situation. Use caution if venturing out on it, cold weather later this week should help to firm it up.
Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Crappie fishing has been slow with anglers having some success in the Buck Creek and South Fork areas using small jigs tipped with a wax worm or a minnow. Most fish being caught have been near some type of underwater structure.
Lake Sugema (Van Buren): Bluegills and crappies have been hitting on small jigs tipped with a wax worm. Some anglers have been catching walleyes near the dam on minnows and spoons.
Lake Wapello (Davis): Bluegills and some largemouth bass have been biting on small jigs tipped with a wax worm or a minnow. Remember the catch and release only regulation on largemouth bass at Lake Wapello.
Lake Macbride (Johnson): Bluegills are always plentiful here, however, they lack in size. Bluegills are around almost any type of structure and can be caught on small jigs/wax worms. Crappies have been fairly willing to bite as well. Fish over deeper brush or rock with small jigs or spoons tipped with wax worms. Be prepared to sort through 8 to 9-inch fish while looking for the larger crappies.
Diamond Lake (Poweshiek): Bluegills are biting on jigs/wax worms fished over brush or pallet structures. The deeper structure may produce some crappies as well, especially towards dark. Remember, no minnows allowed here.
Kent Park Lake (Johnson): Bluegills are being caught in and around the deep brush. Early and late in the day tends to be the best time for catching fish here.
Union Grove Lake (Tama): Anglers are catching good numbers of average-sized bluegills on jigs/wax worms fishing around deeper brush. A few crappies are also being taken, especially at dawn/dusk. There is an aerator in use at the dam end of the lake so use caution in that area.
For more information on fishing in southeast Iowa, call the regional office in Brighton at 319-694-2430.