Weekly Fishing Report

Learn the best hot spots and latest news about Iowa’s fishing opportunities from region to region. 

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How to Read Our Weekly Iowa Fishing Report
DNR’s weekly fishing report is broken down by counties or regions – northwest, northeast, Mississippi river, southeast and southwest. You can check the activity of your favorite lake or stretch of river within each region, including which species are being caught, a rating of the bite (slow, fair, good or excellent), as well as a hot bait or lure pattern.

Fishing reports may include information on stream or river flows (and if it is rising or dropping), ice conditions, depths that fish are biting (watch for trends if this changes), or safety issues like if the water suddenly becomes shallow in spots.

Iowa Fishing Report for July 31, 2025:

NORTHWEST

Black Hawk Lake
Water levels are 6 inches over the crest of the spillway. Water temperature is in the low 80s. Black Crappie - Fair: Try fishing in and around the fish house, Ice House Point shoreline, or the rock piles. Bluegill - Fair: Look for keeper-size bluegill (7-inches) near the rock pile off Gunshot Hill, the rock piles in the east basin and along Ice House Point shoreline in 3-6 feet of water. Channel Catfish - Fair. Walleye - Slow: Look for walleye along the dredge cuts near Denison Beach and in the east basin. The rock piles in the east basin also hold fish this time of year.

Brushy Creek Lake
Water temperature is in the upper 70s. Water clarity is 2-3 feet. Black Crappie - Fair: Find crappie near submerged structure in 5-10 feet of water along the shorelines.  Bluegill - Fair:  Find bluegill in 10 feet of water along weedlines and standing trees. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try fishing along weedlines in 2-8 feet of water. 

North Twin Lake
Water levels are several inches over the crest of the spillway. Water temperature is in the low 80s. Black Bullhead - Good: Use a piece of crawler fished on the bottom near shore.  Most fish are 11-inches.  Walleye - Fair: Try trolling in 6-8 feet of water to find fish hanging out in deeper habitats. Yellow Bass - Fair: Use a piece of crawler under a bobber near shore. Fish are up to 8-inches.

Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake)
Water temperature is in the upper 70s. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try crawlers or cut bait on the bottom fished from shore in 2-8 feet of water.  Walleye - Fair:  Look for walleyes off shore: use crankbaits or a bottom bouncer rig near the dredge cuts. White Bass - Fair.  Yellow Bass - Fair: Keepers are in the 9-inch range.

Water temperatures are around 80 degrees in most area lakes. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
 

Briggs Woods Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs near shore. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Target woody habitat near shore.

Clear Lake
Lake level is 6.7 inches over crest. Water temperature is in the low 80s. Water clarity is around 23 inches. McIntosh Park is closed due to storm damage. Black Crappie - Fair. Largemouth Bass - Fair.  Walleye - Fair: Try live bait and jigs or trolling crankbaits near vegetation. Yellow Bass - Fair:  Use small jigs near vegetation. Best bite is early morning..

Crystal Lake
Black Crappie - Slow: Drift fish or troll tube jigs near the dredge cut. Bluegill - Fair: Use a piece of crawler under a bobber near shore. Largemouth Bass - Fair.

Little Wall Lake
Channel Catfish - Good: Use cut bait fished on the bottom. Best bite is after sunset.

Rice Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs or a piece of crawler under a bobber near vegetation. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use jigs and spinnerbaits near shoreline habitat and rush beds. Yellow Perch - Slow: Try small jigs with a piece of crawler. Sorting is needed for larger fish.

Silver Lake (Worth)
Bluegill – Fair: Try small jigs or a piece of crawler under a bobber in open areas near vegetation.  Largemouth Bass- Good: Use weedless baits near vegetation and woody habitat.  Yellow Perch – Slow: Try a small jig in 4-5 feet of water. Perch are scattered; try different locations to find them.

Winnebago River
River level is 9.91 feet. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Try jigs in slack water and current breaks.

For additional information, contact Clear Lake Fisheries Office at 641-357-3517.

Center Lake
Black Crappie - Good:  Some sorting is needed.

East Okoboji Lake
Water temperature is in the upper 70s. Anglers have been very successful catching many panfish species. Most of the lake is open of any thick vegetation.  Black Crappie - Good.  Bluegill - Good: Anglers are catching bluegill on and off shore. Largemouth Bass - Good.  Yellow Bass - Fair. Yellow Perch - Fair: Many fish have been observed; sorting will most likely be needed.

Ingham Lake
The lake currently has a weedline around the outside perimeter that can easily be fished by boat.  Walleye - Fair: Best bite is morning and afternoon.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)
The lake is  experiencing a large algae bloom.  Black Bullhead - Good: Catch quality-sized fish just off shore.  Walleye - Fair: Bite is hit-or-miss.

Spirit Lake
Water temperature is in the upper 70s. The lake is currently experiencing a large algae bloom that is moving depending on the wind direction. The current weedline is deeper off shore. Black Crappie - Fair: Anglers are finding quality-size fish up to 14-inches. Anglers report some success around Templar Lagoon.  Bluegill - Fair. Walleye - Fair. Yellow Perch - Good: Sorting is needed; anglers are finding many acceptable-size fish.

West Okoboji Lake
Water temperature is in the mid-70s. Black Crappie - Fair:  Bluegill - Good. 

Area water temperatures are in the upper 70s. Lake levels are higher due to recent rains. Area lakes are above crest level. Panfishing has been slower in most areas. For current conditions, call 712-330-2542.

NORTHEAST

Cedar River (above Nashua)
River levels are about 4 feet higher than normal. Levels are slowly dropping; water clarity is improving. Check water levels online. Channel Catfish - - Excellent: Try a chunk of worm, stink bait, or dead chub fished on bottom. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Use a spinner or crankbait in back eddies or current edges. Walleye - Slow: Use a jig tipped with a minnow or plastic tail in off-channel areas.

Decorah District Streams
Water quality varies depending on where rain fell in the area. Water clarity is much improved areawide. If your favorite stream is not fishable, explore a different one. You might find your new favorite. Catchable trout stockings are weekly with streams announced once a month. Wear long pants or waders to protect your legs from potential painfull yellow parsnip blisters and nettles. Flies, gnats, and mosquitoes are aggressive. Brook Trout - Fair:  Good insect hatches are occurring. A variety of terrestrial bugs are falling or landing in water. Use flies imitating ants, crickets, or midges. Brown Trout - Good: Good: Off-color water is a prime time to catch brown trout. Spinnerbait work well near or around logs or undercut banks. Try streamers or a variety of terrestrial insect patterns on larger waterbodies. Rainbow Trout - Excellent:  Use spinnerbaits, hair jigs, or hooks tipped with a small piece of worm, bread or cheese floated through deeper holes. Freshly stocked fish are waiting to take your bait.

Lake Hendricks
A green algae bloom is limiting visibility.  Black Crappie - Slow: Find crappie suspended in deeper areas. Use a jig tipped with a minnow or plastic tail.  Bluegill - Slow: Try a small piece of worm under a bobber near shore. Channel Catfish - Good: Find catfish in areas with stumps or other cavities. Use a worm or stink bait fished on the bottom. Largemouth Bass -Slow: Use a topwater jig along the edge of vegetation.

Lake Meyer
Water clarity is about 1.5 feet. Water color is green with brown tint. Bluegill - Slow.  Channel Catfish - Good: Anglers are finding nice-sized catfish along face of the dam in the evening. Use a worm or stink bait on or near the bottom  Largemouth Bass - Slow.

Turkey River (above Clermont)
Water levels are stabilizing and clearing after rainfall events earlier in the week.  Check water levels online.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water levels are stabilizing and clearing after rain early in the week. Check water levels online. 

Volga Lake
A green algae bloom is limiting visibility.Black Crappie- Slow: Find crappie around structure, docks, or woody debris along shoreline. Bluegill - Slow: Use a small hook tipped with a piece of worm around structure. Channel Catfish - Good: Trophy catfish are abundant in this lake. Look for areas with woody debris, submerged trees, and rocky habitat. Use a worm or stink bait fished on the bottom and wait for a tug on your line.  Largemouth Bass - Slow: Try a jig tipped with a twister tail or shallow running crankbait along rocky shorelines.

Temperatures are in the 70s to 50s. Smoke from Canadian wildfires are causing air quality issues through Friday. Area water levels are elevated after rain earlier in week. Many larger waterbodies remain muddy. For more information, contact the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Mississippi River Pool 9
Water level is 9.04 feet at Lansing and is expected to stabilize then fall slightly this week. Water temperature is 81 degrees in the channel. New Albin Army road ramp and Heytman's Landing are open.   Channel Catfish - Excellent: Try a weighted crawler off the bottom in current eddies.  Flathead Catfish - Good: Use large shiners or a small sunfish for bait in holes with sunken trees. Freshwater Drum - Good: Try a weighted nightcrawler on the bottom in areas with medium current. Largemouth Bass - Good: Throw plastics along the shorelines in the upper end of backwaters away from current.  Northern Pike - Good: Rising summer temperatures will send northern pike into cooler waters. Cast spoons or crankbaits at the mouth of tributary streams. Smallmouth Bass - Excellent: Smallmouth action has picked up. Use spinners off rock points along the main channel.  Walleye - Fair: Walleye fishing on the wing-dams should pick up with stable water levels. Try trolling a crawler on a three-way rig. White Bass - Excellent: Cast inline spinners along current breaks. Watch for minnows jumping out of the water to find schools of feeding white bass. Yellow Perch - Fair: Use a crappie rig tipped with worms or a minnow in the current seams off shore.

Mississippi River Pool 10
Water level is 618 feet at Lynxville and is predicted to gradually fall this week. Water temperature is 82 degrees at the Lock and Dam.  The road at Sny Magill ramp, Harpers Ferry and Noble's Island are open.  Channel Catfish - Excellent: Try a weighted crawler off the bottom in current eddies.  Flathead Catfish - Good: Use large shiners or a small sunfish for bait in holes with sunken trees. Freshwater Drum - Good: Try a weighted nightcrawler on the bottom in areas with medium current.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Throw plastics along the shorelines in the upper end of backwaters away from the current.  Northern Pike - Fair: Rising summer temperatures will send northern pike into cooler waters. Cast spoons or crankbaits at the mouth of tributary streams.  Smallmouth Bass - Excellent: Smallmouth action has picked up. Use spinners off rock points along the main channel.  Walleye - Fair: Walleye fishing on the wing-dams should pick up with stable water levels. Try trolling a crawler on a three-way rig. White Bass - Excellent: Cast inline spinners along current breaks. Watch for minnows jumping out of the water to find schools of feeding white bass. Yellow Perch - Slow: Use a crappie rig tipped with worms or a minnow in the current seams off shore.

Mississippi River Pool 11
Water level is 9.5 feet at Guttenberg and is expected to gradually fall next week. Water temperature is in the low 80s.  Water clarity has improved, but floating weeds can make fishing difficult. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Try a weighted crawler off the bottom in current eddies.  Fathead Catfish - Good: Use large shiners or a small sunfish for bait in holes with sunken trees. Freshwater Drum - Good: Try a weighted nightcrawler on the bottom in areas with medium current. Largemouth Bass- Fair: Throw plastics along the shorelines in the upper end of backwaters away from current.  Northern Pike - Fair: Rising summer temperatures will send northern pike into cooler waters. Cast spoons or crankbaits at the mouth of tributary streams. Smallmouth Bass - Excellent:  Smallmouth action has picked up. Use spinners off rock points along the main channel.  Walleye - Fair: Walleye fishing on the wing-dams should pick up with stable water levels. Try trolling a crawler on a three-way rig. White Bass - Excellent: Cast inline spinners along current breaks. Watch for minnows jumping out of the water to find schools of feeding white bass. Yellow Perch - Fair: Use a crappie rig tipped with worms or a minnow in the current seams off shore. 

Upper Mississippi River water levels are stable and expected to fall slightly. Water temperature is in the low 80s. Water clarity has improved, but floating weeds can make fishing difficult. During hot weather, fish seek areas with current; ook along main channel wing-dams and at the mouth of tributaries.

Mississippi River Pool 12
Water level is rising to near 10.2 feet at Dubuque Lock and Dam and 11.5 feet at the RR Bridge. The water is stained, but fishable. Water temperature is in the low 80s. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Channel cats are done spawning and have moved away from the rocks. Use dip baits in moderate current areas with hard bottoms. Flathead Catfish - Good: Try bank pole fishing with a live bullhead in newly flooded water. Freshwater Drum - Excellent: Use egg sinker and worm rigs. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use spinnerbaits and frog imitation lures. Northern Pike - Good: Try gaudy spinners along the edges of weeds.  Smallmouth Bass - Excellent: Get spinners or crankbaits as close to rock piles as possible in moderate current areas.  White Bass - Good: Look for feeding schools of white bass in the tailwaters and in between wing-dams.

Mississippi River Pool 13
Water level is rising to 11.1 feet at Bellevue. The water is stained. Water temperature is around 81 degrees. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Channel cats are done spawning and have moved away from the rocks.  Use dip baits in moderate current areas with hard bottoms. Flathead Catfish - Good: Use bank poles with live bait. Freshwater Drum - Excellent: Try an egg sinker and worm rig in moderate current areas.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try spinnerbaits along the edges of weeds. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Use spinners and crankbaits along rock lines. Walleye - Fair: Anglers are catching walleye in the tailwaters.  Look for feeding white bass;  cast crankbaits near them. Walleyes are feeding with the strippers. White Bass - Good: White bass schools are chasing minnows along the channel edges. 

Mississippi River Pool 14
Water level is rising to near 10.1 feet at Fulton, 12.5 feet at Camanche, and near 7.5 feet at LeClaire. Water temperature is near 81 degrees. Channel Catfish - Good: Try dip baits in moderate current areas.  Above tree falls or snags is often a great place to lure abundant channel catfish out to your bait. Freshwater Drum - Excellent: Use egg sinker and nightcrawler rigs.  Largemouth Bass - Good: Try spinnerbaits or frog imitation lures along the edges of weeds.  Northern Pike - Fair: Use gaudy white spinners along the edges of weeds. Look for pike in clearer water pockets in vegetated areas. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Find abundant smallmouths along rock lines with moderate current; use small crankbaits or spinners.  White Bass - Good: Use small spinners or jigs to catch feeding white bass in the tailwaters or in-between wing-dams in sandy areas.

Mississippi River Pool 15
Water level is rising to near 9.8 feet. The water is stained. Water temperature is around 81 degrees. Channel Catfish - Good: Dip baits work best.  Move often if fish are not biting. Freshwater Drum - Good: Use an egg sinker rig with nightcrawlers for bait.  Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Pool 15 is underrated as a smallmouth fishery. Try spinners or crankbaits along the rock line with moderate to strong current.

Water levels are back on the rise. Water temperature is in the lower to mid-80s throughout the district. Water is stained. If you have angling questions, call Bellevue Fisheries Management at 563-880-8781. 
 

SOUTHEAST

Big Hollow Lake
Water temperature was in the  upper 80s earlier in the weekl should drop the rest of the week. Best bite is early morning and late evening.  Black Crappie - Fair: Find bluegill in the flooded timber and down to 7 to 8 feet deep. Try vertically jigging in the trees or drift trolling along the outer edge of the trees. Bluegill - Fair: Find bluegills down about 6 feet and in the "brushier" flooded timber where they can hide from the bass easier.

Cedar River (Moscow to Columbus Junction)
River level is forecast to crest at moderate flood stage by next Tuesday (8/5). 

Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River)
River level at Wapello is forecast to continue to rise to near moderate flood stage and crest sometime on Monday (8/4).

Lake Belva Deer
A bunch of extra water is coming out of the marsh as a result of heavy rains. Try fishing the plunge pool in the lake below the marsh. Black Crappie - Fair: Standard summer pattern continues.  Try slow trolling a jig and minnow or small crankbait down 10 to 12 feet.  Trolling speed of just over 1 mile per hour works best. Anglers are catching most fish before 10 am and after 6 pm. Bluegill - Fair: Try vertically jigging a small jig tipped with waxworms or cast a worm over the tops of the mounds at the upper end of the lake. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Find bass in the timber along the old creek channel this time of year when the water is flowing out of the upper marsh in the plunge pool below it.

Lake Darling
More heavy rains added extra water into the lake; water level is about 12 inches above normal pool level.  Black Crappie - Fair: Target habitat in water 7-8 feet deep. Move to a little shallower water at the upper end of the lake and hit the brush piles in 5-6 feet of water.  Bluegill - Fair: Find bluegill along the rock piles by the dam in 7-8 feet of water.  Look for them around the habitat in 5 to 6 feet of water at the upper ends of the lake. Channel Catfish - Fair: Catfish got more aggressive with the influx of "new" water; they have returned to their early morning/late evening near deep water feeding habits.

Lake Geode
Water temperature should drop from the high 80s during the first half of the week. Bottom of the thermocline is at 12 feet. Fish are staying in 6-10 feet of water. Black Crappie - Fair: Find crappies around the artificial habitat in 8 to 10 feet of water suspended a couple of feet above the bottom. Bluegill - Fair: Look for bluegills out from the rocky shorelines at the bottom of the slope in 8 to 9 feet of water. Channel Catfish - Fair: Most catfish are only a couple of years old and are 12- to 13-inches. Some bigger catfish have moved into the lake from the area ponds; look for them in the area along the old work road down from the in-lake silt dam. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Standard July pattern. Bass will stay along the steeper drop-offs to deeper water and venture into shallow water to feed. Most of the day they are in 9 to 10 feet of water.

Lost Grove Lake
The storm during the first half of the week set fishing back as the fish went into hiding. Fishing should pick up as they adjust to the cooler weather forecast for the end of the week. Bluegill - Fair: Find bluegill in 8-10 feet of water in the flooded trees. Try slow trolling jigs or vertical jigging next to the habitat. Largemouth Bass - Fair: A few "cloudy days" gave the bass some extra feeding time; they head back to deeper water once the sun gets out and the water starts to heat up.

Skunk River (Rose Hill to Coppock)
Riiver level at Brighton is at minor flood stage.The north and south Skunk branches are sending down lots of extra water. River levels in the main Skunk won't be going down soon..

For more information on the above lakes and rivers call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.

Broadmoor Pond
Black Crappie - Fair: Find crappie suspended out from shore. Bluegill- Fair: Try small soft plastics on a jig head. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use soft plastics and topwater lures early mornings.

Cedar River (Cedar Rapids to Moscow)
No reports this week due to high water from recent rains. Channel Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas. Flathead Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas.

Cedar River (La Porte City to Cedar Rapids)
No reports this week due to high water from recent rains. Channel Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas. Flathead Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas.

Central Park Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Try fishing near brush piles. Channel Catfish - Slow: Use stink bait near the fishing jetties. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use topwater lures and soft plastics during early mornings.

Coralville Reservoir
Channel Catfish - Fair: Try trolling with rattle rigs and cut bait.  Flathead Catfish - Slow: Try fishing near brush piles and rock edges. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use topwater lures around rocks and trees along shoreline during early mornings. Spotted bass - Slow: Try topwater lures and soft plastics during early mornings. White Crappie - Slow: Catch suspended fish in brush piles or rock wall areas.

Gateway Park South
Yellow Perch - No Report: Use worms below a bobber on the deeper water drop-offs on the north shore.

Goose Pond
Black Crappie - Slow: Find crappie suspended out from shore. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are catching a few fish on a twister tail from shore.  Largemouth Bass - Good: Use topwater lures and soft plastics during early mornings.

Green Castle Lake
Bluegill - Slow: Try fishing in 6-8 feet of water just off shore. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use topwater lures or soft plastics in early mornings. Redear Sunfish - Slow: Try fishing in 6-8 feet of water just off shore.

Grundy County Lake
Black Crappie - Slow: Find suspended near weed clumps. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use stink bait near the fish jetties Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try topwater lures or soft plastics in early morning. Redear Sunfish - Slow: Anglers are catching some fish.

Hannen Lake
Black Crappie - Slow:  Find crappie suspended in the lake basin. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are catching mostly 4- to 7-inch bluegills around brush piles.  Channel Catfish - Good: Try fishing in areas with rock or brush piles.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use soft plastics and topwater lures in early mornings..

Iowa Lake (Iowa Co.)
Bluegill - Fair: Find bluegill in 10-12 feet of water off brush piles and weed edges. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Use stink bait, cut bait or nightcrawlers near the spillway. Largemouth Bass - Good: Try topwater lures or soft plastics in the edges of weeds.  White Crappie - Slow: Look for crappie around brush piles or suspended in the lake basin.

Iowa River (Coralville Lake to River Junction)
No reports this week due to high water from recent rains. Channel Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas. Flathead Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas. Smallmouth Bass - No Report: Try fishing along rocky shorelines and current seams. Spotted bass - No Report: Try fishing along rocky shorelines and creek mouths.

Iowa River (Marshalltown to Coralville Lake)
No reports this week due to high water from recent rains. Channel Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas. Flathead Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas.

Kent Park Lake
Black Crappie- Slow: Find crappie suspended in the lake basin out from dam. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try stink bait along the dam. Largemouth Bass - Good Try topwater lures and soft plastics during early mornings. 

Lake Macbride
The seasonal 10 horse motor restriction is in effect. Black Crappie- Fair: Look for suspended fish near weed lines or in basins. Channel Catfish -Good: Try fishing in rock areas or brush piles.  Flathead Catfish - Slow: Try fishing in rock areas or brush piles.  Largemouth Bass - Good: Try topwater lures and soft plastics during early mornings.  Spotted Bass - Fair: Usr topwater lures and soft plastics during early mornings.  Walleye- Slow: Trolling works best. White Crappie - Fair: Try fishing around brush piles or look for fish suspended in the lake basin. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Slow: Look for scattered suspended fish around wind-blown points or schools of shad.

Wapsi River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)
No reports this week due to high water from recent rains. Channel Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas. Flathead Catfish - No Report: Try fishing in brush piles and rock areas. Smallmouth Bass - No Report: Try fishing along rocky shorelines and current seams. Walleye - No Report: Try fishing along rocky shorelines and current seams.

Whispering Meadows
Black Bullhead - Fair: Use worms below a small bobber.

Williamsburg Pond (West End Pond)
Black Bullhead - Fair: Use worms below a small bobber.  Bluegill - Slow: Try fishing around rocky shorelines. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use topwater lures and soft plastics during early mornings. 

For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Hawthorn Lake
Black Crappie - Fair. Use small jigs around structure and the jetties. Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs along the shallows and in open areas in the vegetation.  Channel Catfish - Fair: Use chicken liver or nightcrawlers. Largemouth Bass - Good: Try plastics around the jetties and along the face of the dam.

Lake Keomah
Lake Keomah is drained for a lake restoration project. Please stay out of the lakebed.

Lake Miami
Black Crappie - Fair: Try small jigs around the jetties and along the dam.  Bluegill - Good: Use small jigs along the shoreline.  Channel Catfish - Fair: Try cut bait or nightcrawlers.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Target the area along the dam and around the jetties.

Lake Sugema
Black Crappie - Fair: Try jigs or jig/minnow combos. Keep moving until you find active fish. Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs in the shallows.  Largemouth Bass - Good: Try spinnerbaits and plastics around the fishing jetties and along the face of the dam.

Lake Wapello
Black Crappie - Fair: Use jigs around submerged structure.  Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are on beds and moving shallow; use small jigs in these areas.  Channel Catfish - Fair: Try chicken liver or nightcrawlers.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use spinnerbaits and plastics around the cedar tree piles.

Rathbun Reservoir
The lake level is 909.26 msl; recreation pool is 904 msl. Be cautious of floating debris; lake level has risen with the recent rains. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels; properly drain, clean and dry equipment before transporting to another waterbody.  Black Crappie - Slow: Look for crappies away from shore around cedar tree piles. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try chicken liver or cut bait. Walleye - Fair: Use crankbaits or crawler harnesses in rock piles and the old river channel.  Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Good: Anglers are catching hybrids.  Cast crankbaits or try vertically jigging in rock piles and rock reefs.

Red Haw Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: Try small jigs along the shoreline and around the jetties.  Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs around the shallows and on the edge of the lily pads.  Largemouth Bass - Good: Try spinners or plastics along shorelines and the edge of the lily pads.

Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa. 

SOUTHWEST

Big Creek Lake
Anglers may notice orange and white buoys in the northwest arm of the lake. These buoys are marking equipment on the bottom of the lake used in an ongoing fishery research project.  Please do not disturb them. Walleye - Fair: While the streams have good flow coming in at the upper end of the lake, try jigging nightcrawlers near the notches in the silt dams. Also try jigging or trolling live bait rigs or shad imitating crankbaits and plastics off humps around points and along the edges of aquatic vegetation in 5 to 15 feet of water. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Catch wipers mostly in the lower half of the lake jigging shad imitating plastics or casting topwater lures over the schools. Focus on shorelines or coves the wind is blowing into on windy days.

Hickory Grove Lake
Black Crappie - Fair:  Drift or troll jigs 3-6 feet deep to catch suspended crappies.  Bluegill - Fair: Try small pieces of nightcrawlers near the edge of the aquatic vegetation or use slip bobbers with pieces of a crawler 3 to 6 feet deep over habitat piles in 15 feet of water or less.

Red Rock Reservoir
Channel Catfish - Good: Drift cut baits on the upper end of the reservoir near and above the Mile Long Bridge.  White Bass - Fair: Try trolling lipless crankbaits, spoons, or blade baits along the wind-blown shorelines and points.

Saylorville Reservoir
White Bass - Good: Try trolling lipless crankbaits, spoons, and blade baits along wind-blown shorelines and sharp drop-offs like the Sandpiper Beach area.

For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Andy Otting at 515-204-5885 or Seth Fopma at 641-891-3795.

Farm Creek Lake (a.k.a. Young's Pond)
Bluegill - Fair: Catch 8-inch bluegills with nightcrawlers under a bobber.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Anglers are catching all sizes of bass along the edges of weeds.

Greenfield Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: Try minnows fished around the jetties. Early morning bite is best.  Sorting will be needed.  Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait around the jetties. Largemouth Bass - No report: Good largemouth bass population.

Lake Anita
Black Crappie - Slow.  Bluegill - Good: Troll or drift small jigs tipped with a crawler. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try cut bait fished from the jetties in the south arm of the lake. Largemouth Bass - Fair.

Meadow Lake
Water clarity is 3 feet. Black Crappie - No Report: Good population of 10-inch black crappie. Bluegill - Fair: Catch 8-inch bluegill around the cedar tree piles. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Cast to the tree piles in the lake.

Prairie Rose Lake
Black Crappie - Slow: Anglers have caught a few large black crappie while trolling.  Bluegill - Fair: Try slow trolling with small jigs.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Anglers are catching largemouth bass along the edges of weeds and around structure.

Viking Lake
Channel Catfish - Slow: Try stink bait around the jetties.  Largemouth Bass - Fair.

For information on lakes in the Southwest District, call the Cold Springs office at 712-769-2587.
 

Green Valley Lake
The dock is in at main boat ramp.  Channel Catfish - Slow: Catch all sizes of catfish with nightcrawlers or cut bait along rocky shoreline areas.

Little River Watershed Lake
The dock is in at main boat ramp. Channel Catfish - Slow: Catch all sizes of catfish with nightcrawlers or cut bait along the creek channel in the flooded timber.

Three Mile Lake
**Driving is prohibited on any service roads used to access the lakebed and the lakebed itself.**  Lake level is 6 feet below normal pool. Use extra caution as new potential boating hazards may be present with the low lake level.

Twelve Mile Creek Lake
The dock is in at the main boat ramp. Bluegill - Slow: Try jigs tipped with live bait along creek channels in the flooded timber to catch all sizes of bluegill. Channel Catfish - Slow: Catch all sizes of catfish with cut bait along creek channels in the flooded timber.

Water temperature is in the low to mid-80s in most district lakes. For more information, call Mount Ayr Fisheries office at 641-931-6031.