Brushy Creek Lake

Some smaller bass are being caught.  Focus efforts in the upper ends and creek arms where the water is warmer. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Anglers should start picking bass up in the shallows and upper ends of the lake. Walleye – Fair: Some anglers are picking up walleye casting jigs.  Focus on the points and along the dam.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)

Spring gillnetting efforts indicate a good population of walleye with a lot of fish in the slot.  Fishing for walleye continues to be slow.

Swan Lake

Anglers have been catching 8.5-inch crappies at Swan Lake around the jetties and fish house. Recent surveys showed large numbers of crappie between the fish house and shore.

Black Hawk Lake

Largemouth bass around 12 inches are providing fun catch-and-release fishing. Some anglers are harvesting bluegill off the stone piers. Bluegill are running around seven inches with a few 7.5 inchers being caught.

Browns Lake

Anglers have reported good crappie fishing.  Fish tight to shore and expect most crappies to be around 10 inches with a few larger ones mixed in.

Snyder Bend Lake

No fishing to report at Snyder Bend.

Surface water temperatures rose into the high 60s to 70 on Wednesday. For more information on rivers and lakes in the area contact the Black Hawk District Office at 712-657-2638.

Upper Pine Lake

There is fishing activity but no reports.

Lake Smith

Channel Catfish – No Report: Channel cats should provide a late afternoon bite near the bridge by the boat ramp during the ice out period. Cats will likely move into the shallow water in the bay. Use cutbait, stinkbait or minnows. Largemouth Bass – No Report: Anglers should be able to catch some bass in along shore with jigs and minnows or jig and plastic.

Clear Lake

Fishing activity this week has been minimal due to the weather. Surface temp is around 49-50 degrees. Channel Catfish – Fair: Catfish can be caught on the warmer days with cutbait or minnows. Look for the windy side of the lake. Crappie – Fair: Anglers have had some success fishing the canals. Walleye – Fair: Anglers have still been catching walleyes on the east shoreline and near the island on rocky shorelines. Anglers are mostly using a 1/16 ounce lead head jig and minnow. Action has been best about a half hour after sunset, later than anglers expect, with a few anglers catching their limits. A few walleyes have been caught on the little lake and near the State Dock area this past week. Yellow Bass – Fair: Some yellows have been caught on the little lake with small artificials. Fish in the shallows on warm days with a slight breeze or try deeper near the boat ramps. Anglers fishing the island have not had much luck yet.

Lake Cornelia

Catches have included bluegills to eight inches, some crappies to nine inches, yellow bass 7.5 inches. You will need to sort the bluegills and yellows. Some small walleyes also have been caught.

Little Wall Lake

Fishing activity has been slow.

Crystal Lake

Bluegill – Slow: No reports but bluegills can probably be caught on warm afternoons with a bobber and an ice fly or small jig with a piece of crawler.  Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting along shore in shallower water. Cast a 3/16 ounce lead head jig with a minnow hooked through the lips. Walleye – Fair: No reports this week. Fishing activity has been minimal due to the rainy weather.

Bluebill Lake

Largemouth bass and catfish have started biting.  Anglers are having success fishing with minnows or crawlers and a bobber near the fishing jetty.  Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass can be caught casting lead heads tipped with a minnow or artificials.

Winnebago River

Winnebago is getting back to normal after the rain last week.

East Fork Des Moines (Algona to Humboldt)

East Fork is dropping after the rain last week. East Fork has been pretty good this spring for walleyes.

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

Smallmouth Bass – No Report: Fish the deeper water rock piles as the water warms on clear sunny days attracting and concentrating fish early. Fish slowly, a jig tipped with a minnow will produce the best action. Walleye – Slow: Best walleye action occurred during a period from 2-5 a.m., with slot size fish dominating the catch.  Troll crankbaits provided the best action. Very little walleye action reported during the daytime.

East Okoboji Lake

Channel Catfish – No Report: Fish after dark with bait on the bottom will produce excellent angling for this species. Bluegill – No Report: Fish the north end for bluegill and crappie action early.  Fish the wooden docks on the west side of the lake early, as the water warms fish docks located on the east side. Cast a mini jig to locate panfish, persistence and patience will be rewarded with a mix bag of crappie, bluegill and yellow perch. Walleye – Slow: Very little walleye activity from East Okoboji Lake, best action will occur at night until water clarity declines.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)

Walleye – No Report: Wader fisherman angling after dark traditionally produces good catches of walleye. Fish slow early, a jig tipped with a minnow slowly retrieved will produce nice catches. As the water warms cast twister tails and minnow intimating baits for consistent action.

West Okoboji Lake

Crappie – No Report: Fish the canals for largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill, best action will occur during sunny warm days. Yellow Perch – Fair: Dock fishing in Smiths Bay resulted in catches of yellow perch, crappie and bluegill. Walleye – Fair: Fish between points and bars resulted in walleye action after dark.

Ingham Lake

Crappie – No Report: Fish the submerged brush piles on warm sunny days using a minnow under a slip bobber will produce fish up to 11 inches. Once bullheads become active cast a mini jig and swim it back to the boat to find active fish.

Five Island Lake

Channel Catfish – No Report: Good opportunities exist to catch angler acceptable sized and larger channel catfish from Five Island Lake. Walleye – No Report: Expect walleye angling to pick up in the next few weeks after the water warms.

Lost Island Lake

Crappie – No Report: Fish the canal s for crappie action, activity will continue to improve as the water warms. Walleye – No Report: Anglers fishing the east side should catch post-spawn walleye.

Diamond Lake

Fisheries survey in April found excellent numbers of northern pike and yellow perch are present. Northern Pike – Good: Good numbers of northern pike were caught over the weekend.  Cast crankbaits and spinners for the best action. Yellow Perch – No Report: Good numbers of yellow perch were sampled averaging 9.0 inches.

West Fork Des Moines (state line to Emmetsburg)

Channel Catfish – Good: Fish brush piles with traditional catfish baits.