Brushy Creek Lake

Black Crappie – Fair:

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)

The dredge machine is still in operation on the lake.  Boaters should stay clear of the dredge machine and pipeline in the northeast part of the lake.  Walleye – Fair: Recent surveys show there are good numbers of 14-17-inch walleye.  Try fishing along the Chautauqua jetty and north shore and along Starr Park and the inlet channel.

Swan Lake

Water levels at Swan Lake have reached crest elevation.  Black Crappie – Fair:

Black Hawk Lake

Water clarity continues to improve.  Water levels are about 9.5 inches above crest.  Channel Catfish – Slow: A few channel catfish around 15 inches have been caught, but the action has slowed down compared to several weeks ago.  Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are still catching nice bluegill but they’re mostly being caught in deeper water now. Try fishing a small hair or ice jig tipped with a wiggler or a wax worm just off the bottom in 5-7 feet of water.  Largemouth Bass – Slow: Anglers continue to pick up a lot of largemouth bass anywhere from 6-12 inches.  Yellow Perch – Fair: The yellow perch have moved into deeper water and can be picked up on small jigs tipped with a piece of bait or a small live minnow.  Most perch are around eight inches with some larger fish mixed in. Walleye – Slow: Walleye are still being caught, but most fish are of sub legal size.  There is a strong size class of 12-14-inch fish in the lake.

Little Sioux River (Linn Grove to Correctionville)

At Linn Grove: discharge 217 CFS, stage is 15.67 feet.  Near Correctionville: discharge 517 CFS, stage is 5.7 feet.  Walleye – Fair: Target walleye in the deeper pools and below the Linn Grove dam.  Try casting a jig baited with a minnow or a twister.

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

Discharge 347 CFS, stage is 7.77 feet, water temperature is 56 degrees.  Smallmouth Bass – Slow: Anglers have caught fair numbers of smallmouth around the rock riffles, but most fish are around 10 inches.

Des Moines River (Humboldt to Stratford)

At Fort Dodge: discharge 1,320 CFS, stage is 4.5 feet.  Near Stratford: discharge 2,100 CFS, stage is 6.88 feet.  Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Smallmouth are being caught the same way as walleye.  Most of the smallmouth are 10-12 inches.  Walleye – Good: Anglers are picking up walleye around the low head dams and bridges around Fort Dodge.  Cast a lead head baited with a minnow or a twister.  Black Crappie – Fair:

For more information on lakes and rivers in this area contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.

Beeds Lake

Boat fisherman are getting bluegills, crappies, and yellow bass casting light jigs or slow trolling jigs in the upper water column. Try with a light tube jig or a small hair jig tipped with a small piece of worm. Crappie – Good:

Lower Pine Lake

Largemouth Bass – Good: Largemouth bass from both lakes with a deep diving crankbait.  Crappie – Good: Crappies from Lower Pine with spinner and minnow combination. 

Clear Lake

Crappie – Slow: No reports. Try the mouths of the canals or in deeper water in the little lake.  Yellow Perch – Good: Anglers have had action with a slip bobber and minnows around the Ventura jetties.  Walleye – Good: Action has picked up a little for walleyes this last week. Boat anglers are trolling with crankbaits and picking up some walleyes. Anglers are picking up an occasional walleye on the Ventura jetties. Muskellunge – Fair: A few muskies are being caught by panfish anglers.  Yellow Bass – Fair: Tips of the jetties by Ventura are getting some action. Boat fisherman are drifting around the edges of the deeper water.

Lake Cornelia

Yellow Bass – Excellent: This past week, anglers have had fast action on the north end of the lake in the old dredge cut. Size of many of the yellows is around eight inches. Fish with worms or cutbait.

Crystal Lake

Northern Pike – No Report: Try casting the shallower water during the fall for pike. For bluegills and bass try on the edges of the dredge cut.

Interstate Park Lake

Crappie – Fair: Crappies are biting; try with minnows and a bobber from shore, or try drifting with a light jig from a boat. Size is around 8-9 inches. A few nice perch mixed in.

Iowa River (Iowa Falls to Marshalltown)

Smallmouth Bass – Good: Smallmouth bass and walleyes from the Iowa River both with jigs and/or jerk baits.

Winnebago River

Smallmouth Bass – Good: Smallmouth have been hitting good on 1/8 ounce jigs and plastics from Fertile to Mason City.

East Fork Des Moines (Algona to Humboldt)

Walleye – Fair: Anglers getting a few walleyes on the river.

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 – Fair: Cooler daytime and overnight temperatures have dropped the water temperature on Big Spirit. This shift has started to get fish more active and moving into the shallows. Wader anglers fishing after dark will enjoy excellent catches; fish the traditional wader sites for the best action.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)

Walleye – Good: With the drop in water temperatures wader fishing action will increase with good numbers of fish harvested this fall. Excellent opportunities exist to catch that trophy walleye as reports of 10-plus pound walleye is common from this lake in the fall. With the clear water, action will be best after dark.

West Okoboji Lake

Yellow Perch – Good: Reports of limits of small yellow approximately 7-8 inches being harvested from West Okoboji Lake.