NORTHWEST

Nelson Park Lake

Nelson Park Lake has received little to no angling activity this last week.

 

Crawford Creek Impoundment

Bluegill – Slow: Anglers have picked up a few keeper bluegills in 10-20 feet of water using jigs and wax worms. Stay mobile to locate and stay on top of fish.

 

Brushy Creek Lake

Ice varies from 12 -15 inches. Bluegill – Slow: Some bluegills are being picked up in 20-30 feet of water with a small jig and wax worm. Anglers have had luck fishing the west side near the timber in about 20-25 feet of water. Yellow Perch – Fair: Yellow perch 6-10 inches have been picked up in 20-25 feet of water near the west end of the lake.  Small jig and wax worms work best, with larger perch biting on a small spoon with minnow head. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappies are being caught in 20-30 feet of water on submerged structure. Anglers are having luck using a minnow and spoon. Wax worms and spikes on a small jig have also picked up fish. Walleye – Slow: A few walleye have been caught in about 20 feet of water.

 

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)

Most of Storm Lake has around 16 -21 inches of ice; there are reports of several small areas of open water: one near College Island, one just north of the big island, and one just off of the Chautauqua Park jetty.  Yellow Perch – Fair: Yellow perch 6-7 inches are being picked up near Kings Point using a small spoon and wax worm. White Bass – Fair: Anglers are picking up some white bass 8-9 inches near the Kings Point area and in the deeper dredged areas while fishing for walleye. Walleye – Slow: Anglers have had the most luck fishing near Stony Point.   A few are also being picked up in the dredge cuts on the east side in about 13-14 feet of water. Spoons and minnows work best.

 

Black Hawk Lake

The winter aeration system is on in the Town Bay. Ice thickness is 15 inches off Ice House Point boat ramp. Walleye – Slow: Anglers have picked up some walleye in 6-7 feet of water between the Ice House Point boat ramp and Ice House Point. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are picking up bluegill around Ice House Point and Shotgun Point using small jigs and wax worms.  Some anglers are picking up several 8 inch fish per trip.

 

Southwood Conservation Area Pond (east)

Bluegill – Slow: Anglers have picked up some bluegills in deeper water (15-20 feet) using wax worms on a jig.

 

Arrowhead Lake

Arrowhead Lake has about 10 inches of ice off the boat ramp. Bluegill – Slow: A few keeper bluegills have been caught in the middle of the lake and along the east side. Most are being caught on a small jig and wax worm fished in 15-16 feet of water.

 

Black Hawk Pits

There is about 10 inches of ice off the boat ramp. Bluegill – Fair: Anglers have been catching bluegill using small jigs tipped with wax worms. Yellow Perch – Slow: Some yellow perch have been picked up while fishing for bluegill. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Anglers are catching largemouth bass while fishing for bluegill.

 

Moorland Pond

Rainbow Trout – Slow: Rainbow trout are being caught while anglers are targeting perch. Yellow Perch – Fair: Anglers are catching yellow perch on jigs with wax worms. Fish are being caught in 10-12 feet of water. Channel Catfish – Slow: Some channel catfish have been caught while jigging.

 

Ice thickness on lakes in the Black Hawk District varies from about 10 to 20 inches. For more information on the Black Hawk District, call 712-657-2638.

 

Lake Smith

16 inches of ice. Bluegill fishing is slow.

 

Clear Lake

Yellow Bass – Fair: Yellows have been caught in 8-10 feet of water on the little lake and in the Baptist Camp area. Anglers have reported bigger yellows and less sorting on the main lake around the island in about 12 feet of water. Crappie – Fair: Action for crappies has slowed but they can still be caught in deeper water (18-24 feet) on the little lake. Most of the crappies being kept are 10-12 inches. Morning bite is good until about 10am then slower action in midday and picking up at around 4pm. Walleye – Fair: Try near the island or near the west aerator. Channel Catfish – Slow: An occasional catfish has been caught. Try Farmers Beach to the Baptist camp area.

 

Crystal Lake

Bluegill – Fair: Action has been hit or miss depending on the day, but anglers should be able to catch 5-15 bluegills a trip. Anglers are doing best on the dredge cut in 12 to 14 feet of water. They have been keeping fish in the 7.75 to 8.25 inch range. Crappie – Slow.  

 

Blue Pit

Rainbow Trout – No Report: 2,500 Rainbow trout were stocked on January 17th. Anglers should be able to catch them swimming along the shallower water along the edges. Try a small teardrop jig and wax worm or a small jigging spoon.

 

Bluebill Lake

14 inches of ice. Angler activity has picked up a little. The bite is a better, though reports are few.

 

For lake updates and fishing information in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.

 

Mill Creek (Lake)

Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are reporting quality bluegills are being caught. Anglers are using small jigs tipped with spikes or wax worms. Reports say they are connecting with either bait.

 

Big Spirit Lake

Northern Pike – Fair: Anglers are beginning to have success using tip-ups on the north end of Spirit, Anglers Bay, Hales Slough, and along the grade. Yellow Perch – Slow: Few yellow perch are being caught during the day. The only perch caught are coming from anglers who are staying on the ice past sunset.

 

Center Lake

Bluegill – Fair: Few anglers have been successful fishing for bluegills on the south end. Reports show few quality fish in the 8 inch range. Much sorting is needed.

 

Minnewashta Lake

Bluegill – Good: Fishermen are reporting an increase in activity for quality bluegill.  Fish size ranges from 6-10 inches. Anglers are using similar presentations everywhere, using small jigs varying in color and size tipped with wax worms. Keep the jig about a foot off the.

 

Silver Lake (Dickinson)

Yellow Perch – Fair: Anglers are noticing an increase in perch activity around the lake. Fish are said to be schooling in deeper holes and staying for longer periods of time allowing anglers to harvest good numbers. Small spoons and jigging raps are proving to produce the most success.

 

West Okoboji Lake

Bluegill – Fair: Bluegill are still being caught in the 10-12 feet range in bays with distinct weed lines. These fish are reported to be biting on small gold and yellow jigs. Bays with these weed lines include: Emerson, Miller, Triboji, Echo, and Browns. Yellow Perch – Fair: The perch bite has consolidated into a select few bays including Emerson and Haywards. These bays have been reporting consistent perch in the 9 inch range. Fishermen are moving around following these schools rather than holding in one place. Fish are being caught on jigging rapalas, Acme sidewinder, Lindy little joes, and kastmasters.

 

NORTHEAST

Volga Lake

Volga Lake hasn’t seen a lot of action this week. About 6 inches of fresh snow fell on Wednesday. Use caution when venturing on the ice. Crappie – No Report: Try using a variety of small jigs tipped with minnows. Bluegill – No Report: Bluegills will bite on a small jig tipped with a wax worm. Best bet is to find brush piles or rock mounds.

 

Lake Hendricks

There is about 18 inches of ice on the lake. About 6 inches of snow fell in the Lake Hendricks area. Use caution when venturing out on ice and check depths often. No ATV’s or motorized vehicles are allowed on the lake. There is open water around the aerator. Bluegill – No Report: Try using small light colored jigs with tipped wax worms. Midafternoon bite is best and shuts down after dark. Fish around structure and toward the bottom. Crappie – No Report: Try a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow. Best bet is to let your minnow do the talking.

 

Lake Meyer

The lake has about 18 inches of ice and about 4 inches of fresh snow. Use caution when going out on the ice.  Few anglers have been venturing out. Anglers going out may have to move often to find fish. The bite seems to be from about 3pm to dark. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are catching bluegills but the bite remains spotty.  If you don’t get bites, move to another location.  Fish have been found at varying depths. Crappie – Slow: A few anglers have found crappie, but the bite is really slow. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Schools of small largemouth bass have been found in the lake. Anglers happening on a school can catch quite a few but if they’re less than 15 inches, they must be released.

 

Airport Lake

There is about 16 inches of ice with open water near the aerator. New Hampton area received about 6 inches of snow Wednesday. Few anglers have been out.  Use caution and check ice depths often. Bluegill – No Report: Anglers can find fish near structure or along sharp depth profile changes. Move often if fish don’t bite right away.

 

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week. Rock bass – No Report.

 

Turkey River (above Clermont)

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week. Bluegill – No Report: Fish have been caught off the bottom in about 5 feet of water.

 

Cedar River (above Nashua)

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week. Crappie – No Report. Bluegill – No Report: Jigs tipped with wax worms are your best bet.

 

Decorah District Streams

Decorah received about 4 inches of snow Wednesday. Take care when parking as lots won’t be plowed. You will have to park on the side of the road to get to their favorite stream. Some light black stonefly hatches have been taking place on warmer sunny afternoons. Anglers have also been taking trout on light spruce flies, small #20 caddis fly nymphs, and streamers. Spin fishers using worms fished through riffles are taking nice catches. Brook Trout – Good: The scientific name for brook trout is “Salvenlinus fontinalis.” “Salvenlinus” is an old name for char or type of trout and “fontinalis” means living in springs or fountains. Brown Trout – Good: Angling strategies should change during the winter months. Angling should take place in the riffles; especially concentrate your lure/fly along the deeper channels running along a cut bank. Rainbow Trout – Good: Traditionally now is a good time to find rainbow heading upstream to spawn. If you do land a spawning fish, please practice CPR (Catch, Photograph, and Release).

 

According to current reports, temperatures should be in the 20s through the weekend with a chance of snow on Sunday. Fish activity continues to be slow on area lakes. Use caution when venturing out on any ice. Snow covering ice may hide weak spots on the ice. Urban lake catchable trout stockings are taking place statewide. See our website for dates, times and locations. For local information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

 

Martens Lake

Reports have been slow. Anglers have been driving off the boat ramp onto the lake. Access is also available from the northwest corner by walking across the reservoir and over the dike. Bluegill – Fair: A jig tipped with a wax worm has been best. Sight fishing is generally best if water is clear. Crappie – Fair: A jig tipped with a wax worm or crappie minnow is best. Sight fishing is generally best if water is clear.

 

Ice conditions remain good across most Black Hawk County area lakes, but always take precautions when venturing onto ice. Fishing activity continues to be slow on area lakes. Anglers just need to get out and try different areas. For more information, call the Manchester District Office at 563-927-3276.

 

SOUTHEAST

Lake Macbride

Most of the lake has 13-15 inches of ice. There is open water under the causeway bridge and it extends to the southeast. Bluegill – Good: Size is poor but numbers are usually good. Get around rock, stumps, or brush and use a jig and waxie. Crappie – Fair: Some anglers are having success around and over structure in 15-30 feet. Small spoons or jigs tipped with waxies are working best. Sunrise and sunset are most productive. Channel Catfish – Slow: Look in 20+ feet of water. They may be from the bottom to half way up the water column. Spoons or minnows are working. Walleye – Slow: A few walleyes, mostly smaller, are being caught early and late in the day. Fish around rock in deeper water.

 

Diamond Lake

Ice conditions are now very good. No minnows are allowed here. Bluegill – Fair: Fish near the bottom around brush with a jig and waxie. Crappie – Fair: Fish around brush or suspended over deeper water with a jig and waxie.

 

Coralville Reservoir

Ice conditions are variable. Some areas have 15 inches, but there are seams of poor ice as well. There has not been much fishing activity. Fishing has been reported as poor.

 

Wapsi River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)

Reports from backwater areas are that fishing has been slow.

 

Terry Trueblood Lake

Rainbow Trout – Slow: Use small jigs or spoons and tip them with waxies or minnows. You must have a trout stamp to fish for or possess trout.

 

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

 

Lake Geode

The ice is back. Stay away from the goose hole. The cold weather has kept anglers away. Bluegill – No Report.

 

Lake Belva Deer

The really cold weather has the ice back to about 12 inches thick. Bluegill – Good: Anglers that have braved the really cold weather have been catching bluegills, but say it isn’t as good as during the last freeze up. Crappie – Fair: Anglers are picking up some crappies after about 6 pm.

 

Lake of the Hills

The ice is in fairly good condition, but always use caution as there are a lot of ground seeps and the aerator by the boat rental that make the ice thickness highly variable. This is the only lake in west lake park where the use of live minnows as bait is allowed. Bluegill – Fair: Anglers continue to catch some bluegills around the brush piles out from the fishing pier. Rainbow Trout – Fair: Anglers are catching a few trout, one or two a trip, but they just don’t seem to be finding where the trout are holding this winter, instead they are catching them as they swim by.

 

Lake Darling

The ice is in pretty good condition again, it’s amazing what a few days of near zero weather can do for the ice. Bluegill – No Report.

 

Big Hollow Lake

The ice is back to about 10 inches thick. Bluegill – Fair: There were about 10 groups on the ice last Saturday.   hey were catching bluegills, sit wasn’t fast but they were catching enough to make it worth the trip.

 

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

 

Lake Wapello

Very little fishing activity has been occurring and very few anglers have been out. Ice thickness varies by area. Use caution when venturing out and drill a lot of test holes.  There is open water out from the beach.

 

Red Haw Lake

Ice thickness varies by area.  Use caution when venturing out and drill a lot of test holes.  Bluegill – Slow: Anglers have been catching a few bluegills using small jigs and a wax worm.

 

Lake Miami

Lake Miami is currently undergoing a lake renovation and is 6-8 feet below normal.

 

Lake Sugema

Ice thickness varies by area. Use caution when venturing out and drill a lot of test holes.  Fishing activity has been low.

 

Rathbun Reservoir

The current lake level is 904.52. Lake Rathbun contains zebra mussels, so make sure to clean, drain, and dry equipment before transporting to another water body.  The entrance to Southfork marina is closed for the season. Ice thickness varies across the lake.   Use caution when venturing out and drill a lot of test holes. Fishing activity is very low and very few anglers have been out.

 

Take your trash with you so your favorite fishing spot is clean and litter free. Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions regarding angling in south central Iowa.  Use caution in south central Iowa as the lakes and ponds have varying thicknesses of ice.

 

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Mississippi River Pool 9

River level at Lansing has remained stable at around 8 feet. Many anglers continue to concentrate fishing on the Shore Slough and Village Creek areas. Yellow Perch – Fair: Nice perch continue to be caught, but the bite has slowed. Bluegill – Fair: The bite has been variable, but fish are being caught early morning and later afternoon, using jigs and wax worms. Northern Pike – Fair: Some nicer size pike are being caught. Try tip-up fishing using shiners in backwater areas. Crappie – Fair: Not a lot of crappie being caught through the ice, but the ones biting are nice sizes. Wax worms and minnows fished in submersed trees work well. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Tip-ups baited with a minnow can produce larger bass.

 

Mississippi River Pool 10

River Level at Lynxville has remained stable at 14.2 feet. The boat ramp at Lynxville remains closed. Sny Magill continues to be popular for panfish and northern pike. Bluegill – Fair: Many   bluegills up to 8 inches are being caught using jigs and wax worms, although recent results have been mixed. Crappie – Fair: Nice crappie still being caught through the ice, although success has slowed. Northern Pike – Fair: Some nicer size pike are being caught. Try tip-up fishing using shiners in backwater areas. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Largemouth fishing has been good using tip-ups baited with a minnow suspended at mid-depth under the ice. Yellow Perch – Good: Occasional nice sized perch being reported from the Greymore lake area.

 

Mississippi River Pool 11

River level at Guttenberg has remained stable at 5.5 feet. The city ramp in Guttenberg and the DNR ramp are blocked with ice.  Ice has formed up to the upper lock wall and no anglers have been venturing out in the tail waters. Sauger – No Report. Walleye – No Report. Bluegill – Fair: The bite has been variable, but fish are being caught early morning and later afternoon, using jigs and wax worms. Anglers are reporting nicer size bluegills in the 8-9 inch range. Yellow Perch – Fair: Nice sized perch continue to be caught in the Zollicoffer Slough area at Sunfish Lake, but the bite has slowed. Largemouth Bass – Fair: The bass population is excellent in Mud Lake and Sunfish Lakes. Tip-ups baited with a minnow can produce larger bass. Northern Pike – Fair: Some nicer size pike are being caught. Try tip-up fishing using shiners in backwater areas.

 

Cold weather continues to solidify ice conditions. Ice thickness is better than 15 inches in many areas. Cold weather continues to slow the bite and the amount of anglers.   

 

Mississippi River Pool 12

The water level at Dubuque Lock and Dam is 5.4 feet and near 8.0 feet at the Dubuque RR bridge. Water is expected to be stable this week. Bluegill – Fair: Backwater ice conditions are excellent in nearly all of your favorite backwaters in Pool 12. Bluegill populations are very good in the Mississippi River, not many reports as weather has been extremely cold. Northern Pike – Fair: Pike populations are robust in the river right now and fishing with tip-ups have been reported at various locations. Both bass and pike were being caught on tip-ups, but fishing has slowed some. Yellow Perch – Good: Lots of yellow perch have been reported throughout the district. It has been the dominant species caught in some.  At least three size classes of ring perch are biting with the small ones the most common to hit the wax worms.

 

Mississippi River Pool 13

The water level at Bellevue is at 5.7 feet and stable. The Bellevue City ramp is frozen in.      Bluegill – Fair: Consistent ice is available, but the bite for large fish has been slow. Numerous small bluegills have been hitting in some spots. Yellow Perch – Good: The number of yellow perch caught this year has been a pleasant surprise for anglers. It has been the dominant species caught in some places. At least three size classes of ring perch are biting with the small ones the most common to hit the wax worms. Crappie – Fair: Some Crappie are being reported out of the deeper water pockets in the Sabula Area Lakes. At times, some crappies are also being reported out of Browns Lake as well.

 

Mississippi River Pool 14

The water level is at 5.1 feet at Fulton, 9.4 feet at Camanche and at 4.3 feet above the dam at LeClaire, all fairly stable. Water levels are expected to be stable to slightly rising. Most backwaters are reported as safe ice for fishing with ice depth at 6 or more inches. Never venture across current areas or areas with unknown ice.  Snow on top of the ice makes it difficult to determine open patches.  Bluegill – Slow: Fishing for bluegills has been slow with few anglers venturing out in the cold weather. Yellow Perch – Fair: Small yellow perch are also being reported at most backwater locations in Pool 14.

 

Mississippi River Pool 15

The water level at Rock Island is at 5.2 feet and stable. Water temperature is 33 degrees and water clarity is good. No fishing was reported to us on Pool 15 this week.  Bluegill – No Report: Most panfish have moved into their overwintering homes for the winter. Marinas often offer over wintering areas on Pool 15, but ice fishing conditions were poor most of this season.   Fishing may pick up now that we have some.

 

Winter is getting long for some people, but others are enjoying the great ice fishing conditions that exist when the temperatures dip below zero.  Fishing reports have been hot and cold all winter.  Some veteran ice anglers are skunked one day and smoking them the next. Fishing has been slow, but we expect one more good run of biting fish before winter ends. Get out on the ice and try to enjoy the last part of winter.        

 

Mississippi River Pool 16

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities is 5.20 feet. We have not received any reports on whether or not the main channel has frozen up or if the Marquette St. ramp is accessible in the Quad Cities. The lower part of Pool 16 has frozen over.  Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are still catching some bluegills through the ice at Sunset Marina. Fishing is being reported as hit or miss. We have not received any reports on how thick the ice is in Sunset Marina.

 

Mississippi River Pool 17

We have not received any reports on whether or not the tail water is accessible or if boats can launch at Muscatine. Ice conditions in Big Timber were 5-7 inches with some thinner ice in some spots. Big Timber does have some flow and groundwater that seeps in that can create variable ice conditions, so use caution. A couple of spots downstream from the boat ramp in Big Timber appear to have some open water that recently refroze with the cold snap.  Bluegill – No Report: There were a few anglers ice fishing in Big Timber earlier in the week, but we have not received any fishing report information. Look for bluegills in the deeper dredge cuts. Crappie – No Report: There were a few anglers ice fishing in Big Timber earlier in the week, but we have not received any fishing information. Look for crappies in the deeper dredge cuts.

 

Mississippi River Pool 18

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 17 above New Boston is 4.69 feet. The Toolsboro Ramp is reported as being frozen in. We have not received any ice fishing information for this pool.  

 

Mississippi River Pool 19

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington is 2.08 feet. We have not received any fishing information for this pool.  

 

Mississippi River Pools 16-19. With the recent cold snap and more cold weather in the forecast, the main channel is freezing up again. We have not received much for ice fishing reports this week. If venturing out on the ice, check ice thickness often as you move. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.

 

SOUTHWEST

Beaver Lake

Crappie – Fair: A good crappie population of 9 to 10 inch fish exists. Sunset and just after are good times to try using glow jigs with wax worms or minnows. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills are being caught near the tree tops in the center of the lake and near the drop-off to the deepest portion of the lake.

 

Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve Lake (west)

Bluegill – Good: Good size bluegills are being caught during the day throughout the lake. A good general area to start is the west half of the lake from the dam up to where the flooded trees start. Crappie – Fair: Crappie from 8 to 12 inches are being caught moving from hole to hole in the flooded trees on the upper half of the lake.

 

Big Creek Lake

Ice thickness is 9 to 12 inches. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegill fishing has been fair to slow. Anglers moving around fishing habitat in 10 to 25 feet of water are picking up some good size bluegills using very small ice jigs with spikes or partial wax worms. Walleye – Fair: The walleye bite is fair to good in the evenings fishing the sharp drops to the creek channel from mid-lake on to the south. Use glowing jigging spoons or jigging crank baits with live minnows or minnow heads.

 

Dale Maffitt Reservoir

Due to the lowering of water levels and the potential for unsafe gaps under the ice, ice fishing is prohibited for the remainder of the 2015 ice season.

 

Hickory Grove Lake

Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills are being caught on the pallet and brush piles at depths of 15 feet or deeper.  Fishing early in the morning or at sunset has been best. Crappie – Fair: The anglers catching most crappie are finding them over brush piles more so than the pallets. Use glow jigs and wax worms or glowing jigging spoons with minnow during the evening and past dark.

 

Lake Ahquabi

Thin ice and open water are occurring around the fish house and beach area. Avoid accessing the lake in this area. Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are doing well catching good size bluegills over the habitat out from the Northwest shoreline across from the beach area.

 

Lake Petoka

Rainbow Trout – Good: Trout were stocked on January 30th.  Anglers are catching them as they school throughout the lake using jigging spoons with wax worms, live minnows, or artificial trout baits.

 

Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake

Rainbow Trout – Good: 2,200 rainbow trout were stocked on February 7th. They are being caught mostly 15 to 40 yards off shore using jigs tipped with wax worms or prepared trout baits and small live minnows.

 

Des Moines River (Saylorville to Red Rock)

Open water fishing from the Hwy 65 bypass to Scott Avenue Dam has been good. Walleye – Good: Walleye are being caught from Scott Avenue dam to the Hwy 65 bypass. Anglers should practice slow retrieval of jigs and minnows.

 

Ice conditions are good for ice fishing on most central Iowa lakes. Ice thickness varies from 6 to 12 inches. For information on central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823.

 

Nodaway Lake

Anglers can expect to catch 8 inch bluegills and 9 inch crappie at Nodaway. The ice condition varies up to 8 inches. Bluegill – Fair: Reports this week indicate bluegills were in 10 to 12 feet of water around tree piles. Crappie – Slow: A few crappies are being picked up around the tree piles using minnows.

 

Littlefield Lake

Littlefield has variable ice thickness up to 7 inches. Access is from the north parking lot only. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill up to 9 inches are being caught around cedar tree piles. Black Crappie – Fair: Fish minnows or wax worms around cedar tree piles to catch crappie up to 12 inches.

 

Cold Springs Lake

Ice thickness ranges from 4 to 6 inches. Bluegill – Slow: Bluegills up to 7 inches can be caught in the southwest corner of the lake.

 

Lake Anita

Only the far east arm of the lake has been accessible. Waterfowl have most of the main lake open. The best reports have been from the far west silt pond for bluegill and crappie. Bluegill – Slow: Fish on the pontoon arm of the lake with wax worms to catch 9 inch bluegill. Black Crappie – No Report.

 

Cold Springs District Farm Ponds

Ice conditions on the farm ponds are variable. Some ponds have 4 to 6 inches of ice and are supporting some late season fishing while others are unsafe to access. Bluegill – Fair: Fish with small jigs tipped with a wax worm in the deeper water. Crappie – Fair: Fish crappies early in the morning or later in the afternoon for best success.

 

Ice conditions in the southwest district are variable from open water to 8 inches. Extreme caution is advised. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587.

 

Little River Watershed Lake

Little fishing activity observed. Open water reported near the dam and along the campground.

 

Badger Creek Lake

Anglers report 8-11 inches of ice.  Some open water reported on the east side of the lake. Bluegill – Slow: Bluegills up to 8 inches have been caught on wax worms fished near the roadbed and channel. Crappie – Good: Crappies up to 10 inches have been caught on jigs and minnows near the roadbed and channel.

 

Green Valley Lake

Anglers report 4-11 inches of ice.  Geese have kept a hole open near the boat ramp in the northeast arm. The open water now extends past the fishing pier. Very little fishing activity has been observed.

 

Three Mile Lake

Anglers report 5-11 inches of ice. Open water reported at the main boat ramp and along the dam. Crappie – Slow: Crappies up to 10 inches have been caught on jigs and minnows near the channel.

 

Twelve Mile Creek Lake

Anglers report 11 inches of ice.  Geese have kept a hole open on the south end of the lake. Crappie – Slow: Crappies up to 11 inches have been caught on minnows near the roadbed. Walleye – Fair: Walleyes have been caught on minnows fished near the roadbed.