Brushy Creek Lake

Largemouth Bass – Fair: Anglers should start picking bass up in the shallows and upper ends of the lake. Crappie – Fair: Anglers should find crappie moving near shore in the upper arms of the lake. Walleye – Fair: Anglers picked up some more walleye this week.  Try casting jigs tipped with a minnow or piece of nightcrawler. Focus on the points and along the dam.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)

The dredge machine is in operation.  Boaters should use caution and stay clear of the dredge machine, booster pump barge, and pipeline.  Walleye – Slow: Spring gillnetting efforts indicate a good population of walleye with a lot of fish in the slot.  Fishing for walleye continues to be slow. The daily bag limit for walleye is three.  All walleye between 17 and 22 inches must be released, and only one over 22 inches may be kept.

Swan Lake

Anglers have been catching crappie around the jetties and fish house; most are around 8.5 inches.  Recent sampling indicated large numbers of crappie hanging out 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.  Bluegills are running 7-7.5 inches.

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.

Surface water temperatures are in the high 50s to low 60s at most of the lakes in the area. For more information on rivers and lakes in the area contact the Black Hawk District Office at 712-657-2638.

Lower Pine Lake

Crappies up to 8 inches are biting pretty well on Upper and Lower Pine. Bluegills are biting on Lower Pine.

Lake Smith

Fishing is slow with the cool weather.

Channel Catfish – No Report:   Largemouth Bass – Fair: A few nice bass being caught.

Lake Catherine

Some bass are being caught.

Clear Lake

Surface temp is around 55 degrees.  Channel Catfish – Fair: Catfish can be caught on the warmer days with cutbait or minnows. Look for the windy side of the lake. May need to start fishing closer to dark or after dark for shoreline action. White Bass – Slow: An occasional white bass is being caught near the island. Crappie – Fair: Anglers have had some success fishing the canals.  Walleye – Good: Some walleyes still being caught on rocky shorelines. Anglers are mostly using a 1/16 ounce lead head jig and minnow or twister tails. Walleyes are also being caught on docks along the north shore to the City Beach. The bite has been picking up during the day with the best bite still being at twilight periods. 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. Anglers have started to catch some off docks.

Lake Cornelia

Anglers are catches bluegills up to eight inches, some crappies up to nine inches, and 7.5-inch yellow bass.  Sorting bluegills and yellow bass will be necessary. Some small walleyes also have been caught.

Little Wall Lake

Bass fishing has been good; anglers using crankbaits.

Crystal Lake

Bluegill – Good: Gills are holding to the rock shorelines tightly. Anglers should be able to catch some good numbers fishing with bait and bobber or jig near and in the rocks.  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 – No Report:

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.

Shell Rock River (above Greene)

Crappies biting pretty well on minnows.

Winnebago River

Winnebago is getting back to normal levels 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.  Channel Catfish – No Report: Channel cats are probably about in prespawn mode and should be biting. Look for barrier areas, riffles, snags and try with some cutbait or stinkbait.  Walleye – No Report:

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 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 – Good: Activity has improved with most of the fish caught after dark.  Dock or wader fishing after 9 p.m. has produced the best action. Slot fish continue to be caught; however, good numbers of harvest able size fish is being creeled.

East Okoboji Lake

Channel Catfish – No Report: Fish after dark with bait on the bottom will produce excellent angling. 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 mixed 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)

Channel Catfish – No Report: Good numbers available to the serious cat angler, fish after dark with traditional baits will result in excellent pole-bending action.  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 baits for consistent action.

West Okoboji Lake

Crappie – No Report: Fish the canal areas for largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill, best action will occur during sunny warm days. Walleye – No Report: Fish after dark for best action.

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.

Diamond Lake

Fisheries survey completed in April reflect excellent numbers of northern pike and yellow perch.  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 deep brush piles for consistent action.