Nelson Park Lake

The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present at Nelson Park.  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 at Yellow Smoke Lake.  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

The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present at Crawford 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.

Moorhead Park Pond

Moorhead Pond was renovated in 2009 and restocked.  The 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, though.  Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are still catching fair numbers of bluegill with some crappie mixed in. The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present at Moorhead Park Pond.  Please make sure to inspect and clean boat trailers, boats, and lower units to avoid transferring the plant species to other bodies of water.

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 for crappie.  Walleye – Good: Anglers are reporting limits of 18 – 20 inch walleye.  Leeches under a slip bobber and crankbaits in around 10 feet of water has been working.  Muskellunge – Fair: Muskie fishing has been fair up 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 – Slow: Anglers are having the best luck using leeches, crawlers, minnows, or trolling crankbaits.  Evening fishing has been the best. 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

Channel catfish, bluegill, and yellow bass fishing have been decent, but the crappie fishing has slowed down.

Swan Lake

Water levels are low.

Black Hawk Lake

Bullhead – Good: Bullheads can be caught on nightcrawlers or leeches.  The bullheads are between 10 and 11 inches and are abundant.  Channel Catfish – Good: Fish the windy shorelines close to shore and use crawdads for bait.  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 – Slow: 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. The lake is about eight inches below crest.

Browns Lake

Channel Catfish – Good: Try fishing for channel catfish in the no wake zone in the north end of the lake.  Use caution as there may be some shallow areas there.  Bluegill – Fair: Bluegill are being picked up around the ends of the docks and around the boat ramp.  Largemouth Bass – Slow: Some largemouth bass are being caught with frogs along around the vegetation west of the boat ramp.  Crappie – Fair: Try using a two inch black twister tail with a slow retrieve around boat docks and the edges of vegetation.

Great Western Park Lake

The invasive plant species brittle naiad is present at Great Western Park.  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)

Panfishing is excellent at the south wood ponds.  The west pond is producing more of the bigger bluegill.  Fish 4 to 6 feet down.  Some bluegills are still guarding the nests near shore.

Little Sioux River (Linn Grove to Correctionville)

Water levels are high on the Little Sioux and some flooding is occurring around the Linn Grove Dam. Northern Pike – Fair: Use spinners to target northern pike.  Channel Catfish – Fair: Some catfish are being picked up in the channel on stink bait and cut bait.

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

Briggs Woods Lake

Anglers are catching largemouth bass using crawlers and twisters.

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

Note:  The boat ramps at McIntosh Woods State Park on Clear Lake will close on June 18 to allow workers to install concrete pad extensions to eliminate scour holes that developed at the end of the ramps.  The ramps will reopen on June 22.  Similar repairs will take place to the ramps at Ventura Access (Lynn Lorenzen Park) beginning June 25.  The Ventura Access ramps will reopen June 29.  Scour holes developed at the end of the ramps from boats powering on to trailers.   Channel Catfish – Fair: Channel catfish are being caught on minnows 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.  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.

Lake Cornelia

Anglers are picking up 7-8 inch crappies.  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.  Anglers are also catching largemouth bass with spinner baits fished along weed beds.

Bluebill Lake

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

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

Big Spirit Lake

With recent rains and warm temperatures the water has become dirtier but the spillway is now running.  Bullhead – Good: There have been lots of bullheads 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 spoons and spinner baits around vegetation.  Some pike are being caught trolling crankbaits for walleye around 10-15 feet of water.  White Bass – Fair: Look for schools of white bass breaking the surface in the morning and afternoon, once located, a popper or minnow bait should get some action.  Smallmouth Bass – Slow: Most smallmouth bass have are being caught off rock piles.  Largemouth Bass – Fair: Largemouth are still being found near weeds but some are also starting to disperse to other areas in the lake.  Yellow Perch – Slow: Action has picked up a bit look for most perch in deeper water on mudflats.  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 the 10-20 feet range has been another good tactic.

East Okoboji Lake

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

Silver Lake (Dickinson)

White Bass – Fair: A few white bass are being caught. Look for fish hitting the surface or cast the shoreline with minnow baits.

West Okoboji Lake

The canals seem to be where the most action is taking place with bluegills and largemouth bass gaining most of the attention, but many are small.  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.

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 feet 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 call the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.