Crawford Creek Impoundment

Bluegill – Fair: A few fish are being caught in the afternoons on wax worms.  Anglers using cameras have stated a lot of fish are still not very active.

Brushy Creek Lake

Action has been inconsistent all winter but fishing has picked up in the last few days.  Bluegill – Fair: Use small ice jigs tipped with wax worms or plastics around submerged trees and brush piles.  Keep moving to locate active fish. Best fishing has been early morning and evenings.  Crappie – Fair: Crappie fishing picked up some this week. Anglers are reporting fish in 20-25 feet of water on live minnows.  Yellow Perch – Fair: A few perch have been caught by crappie anglers using live minnows in 20-25 feet of water.  Walleye – Slow: A few more reports of walleye have come in this week with fish between 16-20 inches. Sunrise and sunset were the best times to pick up a bonus walleye while panfishing.

Bacon Creek Lake

Trout were stocked Jan. 18. Rainbow Trout – Fair: Fish are suspended and anglers are using minnows or small jigs tipped with wax worms.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)

Ice conditions range from 20-24 inches. There are two open holes on the lake: one is between the islands and the other is on the north side of Scout Island.  With the anticipated winds care should be taken if near one of the holes as wave action can greatly increase the open water area. Walleye – Fair: Fish are being caught on small spoons tipped with minnow heads. Most fish are running 7-10 inches with a few fish in the 15-16.5-inch range. The area of the Chautauqua Park jetty and High Bank seem to be best. All walleye between 17-22 inches must be immediately released and no more than one over 22 inches may be kept per day.  The daily limit is three.

Swan Lake

23 inches of ice reported this week.  Bluegill – Slow: A few fish have been caught on small tungsten jigs tipped with a wax worm.  Crappie – Slow: A few fish have been caught on small tungsten jigs tipped with a wax worm.

Moorland Pond

Trout were stocked on Jan. 10. Ice thickness was reported as 12 inches or more.  Rainbow Trout – Fair: Trout are being caught with small jigs tipped with plastics or live bait suspended just under the ice.

Check ice depth regularly if venturing out on ice.

Lower Pine Lake

Activity remains steady with seven-inch average crappie and six inches plus average bluegills being caught on Lower Pine.

Lake Smith

Ice thickness is 18-20 inches. Not much fishing activity.

Clear Lake

Ice thickness is 20-23 inches. Anglers should avoid driving through the channel that runs from the little lake to the big lake, as that area can be unsafe; take the highway around instead.  Bluegill – Slow: A few bluegills and crappies have been caught on the edge of the reeds on the north shore of the main lake. Fish on the very edge, but in the reeds. Crappie – Fair: Anglers are still getting some in the deeper areas of the little lake around dark. Look for them to be suspended quite a ways off bottom if you’re in the deeper water in the little lake. A few crappies also have been caught near Baptist Camp/Farmers Beach areas. Also some have been caught by the island in deeper water (14-16 feet) Most are in the range of 8-11 inches long.  Yellow Perch – Slow: Some small perch being caught. 10 inchers not very common.  Walleye – Slow: Reports of a few being caught near the island and near the aerator on the west end at dark. (14-inch minimum)  Yellow Bass – Fair: Most of the yellow bass action seems to be coming from anglers on the main lake near the Baptist Camp and Farmers Beach. Yellows on the little lake seem to be around 12 feet of water. Most yellow bass being caught are around 7.5-8 inches with a few 9-9.5 inch.

Lake Cornelia

Ice thickness is 20 inches plus. Some reports have indicated the bite has slowed. Use a minnow head or piece of cut bait on a small jig. Some anglers have had luck using just the tail end on a light jig.

Little Wall Lake

Ice thickness is 22 inches. No fishing activity seen.

Crystal Lake

Ice thickness is 20-23 inches. Bluegill – Fair: Fishing seems to be fairly consistent. Bluegill fishing has been good using small jigs tipped with wax worms. Anglers are reporting better success in the shallower water 8 feet near the edge of the dredged basin.  Crappie – Fair: Crappie fishing has been fair using minnows at dusk in the deeper water near or on the drop-off of the basin.  Walleye – Slow: An occasional walleye may be taken in the deeper water using minnow.

Blue Pit

Additional rainbow trout were stocked on Feb. 7. Anglers should be able to catch them with a small ice fly and a wax worm or a small spoon. You should start shallow near shore.

Bluebill Lake

Ice thickness is 22 inches. No reports lately; earlier anglers were having some success catching perch, bluegill, and some largemouth bass on spikes and wax worms fished near sunken cedar tree clumps.

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

Big Spirit Lake

Walleye season closes Feb. 14.  Bluegill – Slow: Anglers bay has put out a few bluegills all winter the numbers are not great but they are quality fish.  Most activity is early and late in the day.  Crappie – Slow: Like the bluegills crappie activity has been best early and late in the day in Anglers Bay. Yellow Perch – Slow: Adult perch numbers are low but many small perch in the five-inch range have been observed with underwater cameras.  Walleye – Slow: Walleye season closes Feb. 14.  Walleye fishing at this time has been very slow with only a handful of fish being caught.

East Okoboji Lake

Walleye season closes Feb. 14.

West Okoboji Lake

Walleye season closes Feb. 14.  Bluegill – Slow: Most fishermen have been targeting Emerson and Millers Bay and weeds have been a key factor. The fishing has been hit and miss with some days being much better than others. Yellow Perch – Fair: Fish have been in 40 feet plus of water and lots of small fish have been caught. Keep in mind that fish coming out of deep water have a higher mortality rate.

Five Island Lake

A few crappie and catfish have been caught toward the north end of the lake.

Lost Island Lake

Walleye – No Report: There is very little fishing pressure at this time.

Scharnberg Pond

Rainbow Trout – Fair: Panfish tackle is all that is needed to fish for trout the key is not to fish to deep. The most active fish cruse just under the ice or are willing to come up to take a bait.

For more information contact the Spirit Lake Hatchery at 712-336-1840.