Crawford Creek Impoundment

Crappie – Slow: A few small crappies have been caught jigging along edges of weed lines and brush piles.

Brushy Creek Lake

Largemouth Bass – Fair: A few fish have been caught along the edges of weed lines and suspended around trees.  Crappie – Fair: A few reports of good catches have been made fishing around submerged trees near the creek channel.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)

Channel Catfish – Excellent: Angler reports indicate fish being caught on chicken livers, night crawlers, chubs and stink bait.  White Bass – Good: Anglers are catching fish using shiny spoons like Kastmasters.  Walleye – Fair: A few limits of fish have been reported trolling scatter raps.

Black Hawk Lake

Lake levels are now at crest.  Bluegill – Fair: A few bluegills up to 8.5″ are being caught around weed beds and rock piles on slip bobbers with live bait.  Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass are being caught on top water lures around ice house point and shotgun hill near weed beds.  Walleye – Slow: Few walleye up to 17″ have been caught while blue gill fishing.

Browns Lake

Channel Catfish – Fair: Fish have been caught using stink bait and chicken livers or drift fishing with cut bait or shrimp.

Snyder Bend Lake

Channel Catfish – Fair: Fish have been caught drift fishing with cut bait.

Sturchler Pit (Newell Pit)

Largemouth Bass – Fair: Fish have been caught along the edges of weed beds.

Little Sioux River (Linn Grove to Correctionville)

Water levels are still above normal but falling.  Channel Catfish – Fair: Fish have been caught around brush piles and creek mouths with stink bait.  New brush piles have formed this year so care should be taken if boating.

North Raccoon River (above State Highway 175 Bridge near Auburn)

Flows are dropping and are near normal for this time of year.  New brush piles have been reported so care should be taken if boating.  Channel Catfish – Fair: Fish have been caught around brush piles and current seams also keep on the lookout for mulberry trees hanging over the water as well.

Des Moines River (Humboldt to Stratford)

River is still high but dropping. Reports are indicating new brush piles have been created with this year’s high water so care should be taken if out in a canoe or boat.  Channel Catfish – Fair: Success has been had at creek mouths and around brush piles with cut bait or stink bait.   Walleye – Slow: Few fish have been caught on crank baits around creek mouths

Lake Smith

Channel Catfish – Slow: Try after dark near the rocks or steeper shorelines.  Bluegill – Slow: Try in near the rocks at dark or out deeper looking for suspended fish with a depth finder.”

Lake Catherine

Channel Catfish – Fair: There are some nice 22-27-inch cats in the lake. Try after dark with some cutbait, worms, or stinkbait.  Largemouth Bass – No Report:

Clear Lake

Channel Catfish – Fair: Try on the rock reefs, shoreline rocks or just try on the windward shorelines with some cutbait, worms, or stinkbait. North shore docks and Ventura grade are also worth a try.  White Bass – Slow: An occasional white bass near the reeds on the little lake.  Largemouth Bass – Fair: An occasional largemouth near the edges of the reeds.  Walleye – Good: Shoreline docks have been ok at dark or on windy days. Boats have been picking some up yet trolling, or fishing near the rock reefs near state reef, Billy’s or Gilmore’s. Some fish by the edges of the reeds where the wind blows into them.  Muskellunge – Fair:   Yellow Bass – Slow: Action is still pretty slow, fish are scattered, but should pick up at the end of the month. Typically toward the end of July the yellows start to congregate more in the deeper water in the middle of the big lake.

Crystal Lake

Bluegill – Fair: The bluegill bite is slowing down some but fish can still be caught. Fish with a popper or a bobber set shallow for the bluegills closer to shore. Or try with a slip bobber for the bluegills near the deeper dredged water (11-13′). Casting a lighter jig and letting it slowly sink will also catch some fish. Tip with a worm or leech.  Largemouth Bass – No Report: Try on the Dredge cut weed line or up close to the rock shorelines.  Walleye – No Report: An occasional walleye may be caught near the edge of the dredge cut along the edge of the curlyleaf.

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

Remember that all walleyes between 17 and 22 inches must be released alive immediately upon catching. Northern Pike – Fair: A few pike have been caught by running spinner baits over or near the edge of the major weed lines.  Smallmouth Bass – Good: Jerk baits and jigs tipped with live bait have been producing a few bass near rocky points and other deep water structure.  Largemouth Bass – Good: Fishermen using spinner baits and soft plastics have reported catching bass near docks and other vertical structures.  Walleye – Fair: The catch is dominated by 20-inch walleyes currently with the best action on live baits near weed beds and deep rocky structures.   Black Bullhead – Fair:

East Okoboji Lake

Remember that all walleyes between 17 and 22 inches must be released alive immediately upon catching.  Walleye – Fair: The catch has been dominated by small walleyes with the occasional angler acceptable size. Boats working the areas around Jingle’s Point and Charlestrom beach have been seeing the most action.  Yellow Bass – Good: Small yellow bass continue to be caught near the spillway with a few nice ones mixed into the fray. Jig heads tipped with shiners should work well.

West Okoboji Lake

Remember that all walleyes between 17 and 22 inches must be released alive immediately upon catching.  Bluegill – Good: Anglers working deep weed beds have been catching some nice bluegills using small jigs tipped with live bait.  Yellow Perch – Good: Anglers working rock structures have been catching a number of nice yellow perch using small jigs tipped with live bait.

Diamond Lake

Best access is by canoe or kayak right now because submerged vegetation is quite dense. Access with an outboard motor could prove troublesome.   Northern Pike – Good: Top water spinners, buzz baits, or frog plastics should produce excellent action. Weed resistant hook styles are advised along with braided line to pull fish from weed beds.  Yellow Perch – Good: Small jigs tipped with live bait under bobbers should produce some quality sized yellow perch if you can position near the edge of a weed bed.

Little Sioux River (state line to Linn Grove)

Channel Catfish – Good: Chicken liver or cut bait worked near snags and deep pools should produce some nice action right now.

For lake updates and fishing information for northwest Iowa, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.