NORTHWEST

Nelson Park Lake

The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present.  Please make sure to inspect and clean boat trailers, boats, and lower units to avoid transferring the plant species to other bodies of water.

Yellow Smoke Park Lake

The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present.  Please make sure to inspect and clean boat trailers, boats, and lower units to avoid transferring the plant species to other bodies of water.

Crawford Creek Impoundment

Some bass are being caught at Crawford Creek.  Most of the bluegills and crappies are being caught from the dam, but not in high numbers.  The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present.  Please make sure to inspect and clean boat trailers, boats, and lower units to avoid transferring the plant species to other bodies of water.

Moorhead Park Pond

Moorhead Pond was renovated in 2009 and restocked.  Panfish are now at a size worth keeping.  Fishing for bluegill, crappie, and bass has been good.  Most of the bass are a sub-legal size.  The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present.  Please make sure to inspect and clean boat trailers, boats, and lower units to avoid transferring the plant species to other bodies of water.  Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are still catching fair numbers of bluegill with some crappie mixed in.

Brushy Creek Lake

Fishing continues to be good for many species.  Bluegill – Good: Bluegill fishing has picked up.  Largemouth Bass – Good: Anglers are doing well for largemouth bass.  Focus on the weed lines and around structure.  Crappie – Good: Fishing continues to be good.  Walleye – Good: Anglers are reporting limits of 18 to 20-inch walleyes.  Leeches under a slip bobber and crankbaits in around 10 feet of water have been working.  Muskellunge – Fair: Muskie fishing has been fair in the north ends, along the east shoreline from the beach on north, and in the coves around Taylor’s Island.  Large crankbaits, surface baits, spinners, and bucktails have all been producing. The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present at Brushy Creek.  Please make sure to inspect and clean boat trailers, boats, and lower units to avoid transferring the plant species to other bodies of water.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)

Channel Catfish – Good:   White Bass – Good: White bass fishing has picked up.  Try casting white twisters or shad raps.  White bass are being picked up while fishing for walleye.  Walleye fishing picked up some at Storm Lake on Wednesday.  Walleye – Fair: Walleye fishing has improved from both boat and shore.  Anglers are having the best luck using leeches, crawlers, minnows, or trolling crankbaits. Boaters should use caution on Storm Lake.  The hydraulic dredge is in operation in the east basin of the lake.  There is a pipeline running from the dredge to the shoreline and may rise to the surface at times.

North Twin Lake

Fishing has slowed down at North Twin Lake.

Swan Lake

Anglers are still catching some bluegill and crappie, but it has slowed down some for crappie over the past couple of weeks.  Fish off the jetties along the south portion of the lake.  Anglers have been doing well from the fish house.  Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are around 7.5 to 8 inches.  Crappie – Slow: Crappie are around 9 inches in length.

Black Hawk Lake

Water levels are about 6 to 8 inches below crest.  Bullhead – Good: Bullheads can be caught on nightcrawlers or leeches.  Most are between 10 and 11 inches and they are abundant.  Channel Catfish – Good: Channel catfish are being caught close to shore.  Try leeches, minnows, or cut bait.  Some are being caught on twisters while fishing for walleye.  Crappie – Fair: Crappie are being caught in the Town Bay area of the lake.  Walleye – Slow: Try fishing Ice House Point or the east shore.  Use leeches under a slip bobber set off the bottom.  Walleye must be at least 15 inches to keep and anglers are allowed three per day.  Yellow Bass – Fair: Cast a small bright colored lure close to shore where the wind is blowing in.  The east shore north of the outlet is a good place to fish with a west wind.

Great Western Park Lake

The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present.  Please make sure to inspect and clean boat trailers, boats, and lower units to avoid transferring the plant species to other bodies of water.

Southwood Conservation Area Pond (east)

Bass, bluegill, and crappie are hitting well on live bait under a bobber, preferably nightcrawlers.

Little Sioux River (Linn Grove to Correctionville)

Northern Pike – Fair: Target the backwaters below the dam.  Channel Catfish – Fair: Some catfish are being picked up in the channel.  Walleye – Slow: Some walleyes are being caught but it has been pretty slow.  Muskellunge – Slow: Target the backwaters below the dam. Water levels are high on the Little Sioux and some flooding is occurring around the Linn Grove Dam.

Black Hawk District Farm Ponds

Bluegills are starting to nest at farm ponds around the area.  Bluegills are very aggressive when guarding the nest and can be caught easily.  Look for shallow areas of ponds where the bluegill are nesting.

For information contact Ben Wallace or Don Herrig at the Black Hawk District Office in Lake View at 712-657-2638.

Lower Pine Lake

Largemouth bass and bluegills are biting on crawlers.

Upper Pine Lake

Largemouth bass and bluegills are biting on crawlers.  Anglers are also having success catching crappie with wax worms along the shoreline and channel catfish with liver fished in the creek between the Lakes.

Clear Lake

Channel Catfish – Fair: Channel catfish are starting to bite on minnows fished in the little lake and during evening near the jetties.  Crappie – Fair: Some crappies are being picked up on minnows.  Fish small tube jigs and jigs tipped with bait in areas near the rushes, next to shore, and in the rocks along the jetties.  Walleye – Fair: Anglers are catching walleye while drifting with minnows over rock reefs and also in areas of the little lake.  A large number of walleye under the 14-inch minimum length limit are being caught.  Yellow Bass – Fair: Anglers are picking up yellow bass in areas near the island, Dodge’s Point, over rock reefs, and in the little lake.  Use jigs tipped with small minnows, cut bait, or a piece of crawler. Note: Due to low water conditions, boaters are reminded to use caution when backing trailers into the water to not go beyond the end of the McIntosh and Ventura boat ramps.  Scour holes developed at the ends of these ramps from boats powering onto trailers.  If the trailers are backed beyond the ramps, the wheels will fall into these scour holes, dropping the trailer frame on the concrete.  Signs posted on the courtesy docks mark the end of the ramps at both McIntosh and Ventura accesses.

Lake Cornelia

Anglers are picking up 7 to 8-inch crappies.  Some walleye under 14 inches, and channel catfish are being caught on live bait.

Little Wall Lake

Crappie and bluegill fishing is good.  Crappies are still biting in shallow areas of the lake and along the rocks.  Target these fish in near-shore areas with small tube jigs or jigs tipped with bait.  Largemouth bass are also being caught near shore.

Crystal Lake

Bluegill fishing is good.  Bluegills are on spawning beds in the shallows and along the edges of weed beds.  Fish these areas with a small tube jig or jigs tipped with bait.

Bluebill Lake

Anglers are having success catching bluegills, crappies, and yellow perch on crawlers fished along the edges of weed beds.

Bluegills are on spawning beds in many of the north central water bodies.  For more information in the north central area contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.

Big Spirit Lake

Bullhead – Good: There were lots of bullheads being caught off the north grade as well as a few at Templar Park.  Most were coming on worms but minnows and leaches also caught a few.    Northern Pike – Fair: Try using spoons, and spinner baits around vegetation.  Some pike are being caught trolling crankbaits for walleye around 10 feet of water.  White Bass – Fair: Locating an active school of white bass is the hard part; once found something resembling a minnow should get good results.  Smallmouth Bass – Slow: Most smallmouth bass have are being caught off rock piles.  Largemouth Bass – Fair: Green vegetation still seems to be the key but as the water keeps warming the fish are becoming more active.  Slow presentations are still bringing fish to the boat but the top water bite is also shining when conditions allow.  Yellow Perch – Slow: Fishing has been slow but a few are being caught while fishing for walleye.   Walleye – Fair:  Leeches and night crawlers seemed to be the choice bait by most fishermen with minnows bringing some success as well.  Trolling crankbaits in 10-20 feet of water has been another good tactic. With recent rains and warm temperatures the water has become dirtier but the spillway is now running.

East Okoboji Lake

Bullhead – Fair: Try using worms on bottom.  Walleye – Fair: Try fishing near bottom with crawlers and leeches or trolling crank baits.  Twister tails can also be productive.  Yellow Bass – Good: Many yellow bass are being caught try looking for rocks and wood and use small baits. With the spillway now running many fishermen are targeting the north end of the lake.

West Okoboji Lake

Northern Pike – Fair: Find weed beds and you have found the pike. Try using spoons or most anything resembling a minnow and don’t forget the steel leader.  Bluegill – Good: Action is picking up in the main lake around docks but there are still a good number of fish in the canals.  Try using small jigs coupled with light line and a small bobber.  Smallmouth Bass – Slow: A few smallies have been caught off rock piles but with the clear water most fish are spooky.  Largemouth Bass – Fair: Fish are still in the canals but there are a few being caught in the bays around the weed beds.  Walleye – Fair: A few fish were caught trolling crankbaits as well as live bait rigs with crawlers and leeches.  The canals seem to be where the most action is taking place with bluegills and largemouth bass gaining the most attention but many of the fish are small.

Lost Island Lake

Walleye – Fair: The water temperature is still holding in the mid 60s and the bite hasn’t slowed.  Good results have come in 10-15 ft of water with many small fish being caught. Try trolling crawler harnesses or drifting with either live bait or jigging with specialty plastics designed for walleye.  Yellow Bass – Good: There are some good sized yellow bass in the lake and they can be caught using crappie sized baits.  Try using twister tails, crappie tubes, and live bait to catch a batch of these tasty fish.

A reminder to bow fishermen please dispose of your fish properly and it is unlawful to sell fish.  With the summer season upon us remember to be courteous to fellow lake users.  For more information, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.