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February 5 Iowa Fishing Report

For immediate release: FebRuary 5, 2015www.iowadnr.gov | facebook.com/iowadnr | twitter.com/iowadnr | pinterest.com/iowadnr For lake locations, maps and other information, go to www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/FishingReports.aspx The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issues a weekly fishing report on Thursdays in an effort to provide the latest information heading into the weekend. The weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys, and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report. NORTHWESTCrawford Creek ImpoundmentBluegill – Fair: Anglers have been picking up 6-8 inch bluegill near the point on the east side. They are having the best luck using jigs tipped with wax worms in 10-15 feet of water.  Brushy Creek LakeIce on Brushy is 10-13 inches, with up to 6 inches of snow on top of the ice in some places. Fishing on the south end of the lake has picked up recently, with more anglers targeting the Taylor’s Island and Cedar Point areas. Bluegill – Slow: There have been some reports of anglers picking up bluegill in about 30 feet of water. Yellow Perch – Slow: Anglers have been picking up a few yellow perch towards the west end and in the south end while fishing for crappie. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers are catching crappie in 30-40 feet of water using minnows and spoons. A few are also being picked up using wax worms on various colored jigs – those using orange are having the best luck. Walleye – Slow.  Bacon Creek Lake Bluegill – Slow: Some bluegill have been picked up using wax worms. Rainbow Trout – Fair: Approximately 1,500 rainbow trout were stocked into Bacon Creek on January 17th.  Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)Storm Lake has around 13-18 inches of ice. Walleye – Slow: Anglers have been picking up a few walleye along the dredge cuts on the east side in about 13-14 feet of water. They are having the best luck using spoons and minnows. Some walleye are also being caught along the north shore and near the Stony Point area. Yellow Perch – Slow: Some yellow perch are being picked up near the east shore around Kings Point area. Try using a small spoon and wax worm. White Bass – Slow: A few anglers are picking up some white bass in the deeper dredged areas while fishing for walleye.  North Twin LakeAngling activity on North Twin Lake has been low compared to recent weeks, with reports varying from a few fish per trip to none caught.  Black Hawk LakeThe winter aeration system is on in the Town Bay. Ice is 10 inches at the Ice House Point boat ramp, with 1 to 6 inches of snow on top of the ice. Fishing activity has been slower compared to previous weeks. Walleye – Slow: The walleye bite has been slow. Last reported catches were of walleye around 14 inches being caught near dredge cuts off Denison Beach and Lakewood Point areas. Yellow Perch – Slow: A few yellow perch have been picked up in between the Denison Beach and Lakewood Point areas.  Browns LakeIce conditions on Browns Lake were poor last week due to the warm weather. Despite the cold temperatures in recent days, the ice conditions are still variable. Additionally, no anglers have been out on the ice in about a week. Anglers are advised to use caution and check ice depths frequently as thickness will likely change in different parts of the lake.  Snyder Bend LakeIce conditions on Snyder Bend Lake were poor last week due to the warm weather. Despite the cold temperatures in recent days, the ice conditions are still variable. Additionally, no anglers have been out on the ice this last week. Anglers are advised to use caution and check ice depths frequently as thickness will likely change in different parts of the lake.  Arrowhead LakeArrowhead Lake has 7-8 inches of ice off the boat ramp. Bluegill – Fair: Hand-sized bluegills can be caught in the middle of the lake and along the east side, with some bluegill up to 9.5 inches being caught on a small jig tipped with a wax worm fished in 15-16 feet of water. Black Crappie – Slow: A few keeper size crappie have been picked up while bluegill fishing. Yellow Bass – Slow: A few yellow bass have been picked up while bluegill fishing.  Black Hawk PitsThere is 5-7 inches of ice off the boat ramp. Bluegill – Fair: Anglers have been catching bluegill using small jigs tipped with wax worms – some have also had luck fishing with small plastics. The best bite seems to be from late afternoon to evening. Yellow Perch – Slow: Some yellow perch have been picked up while fishing for bluegill. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Anglers are catching largemouth bass while fishing for bluegill.  Moorland PondRainbow Trout – Slow: Some trout are being picked up while fishing for perch. Yellow Perch – Fair: Anglers are picking up yellow perch in 10-12 feet of water using small jigs tipped with wax worms and red worms.  Little Sioux Park LakeChannel Catfish – Fair: Anglers have had some luck picking up channel catfish throughout the last couple weeks.  Most lakes in the Black Hawk district have anywhere from 6-15 inches of ice, with conditions along shore and near inflows being more variable. For more information on the Black Hawk District call 712-657-2638. Lake SmithIce is good at Smith Lake with 14-15 inches. Anglers have been active and are doing well on bluegills with a few crappies.  Lake Catherine15 inches of ice. Bluegill – Slow. Largemouth Bass – Slow.  Clear LakeIce is about 16 inches. Yellow Bass – Good: Yellows have been caught in 8-10 foot of water on the little lake and in the Baptist Camp area. Size of the catch is split between 5 and 8 inches. Larger yellows seem to be coming from shallower water (8-12 foot) while some anglers have had larger numbers of smaller yellows from deeper water (18 to 20 foot). Crappie – Good: Anglers are reporting decent numbers of crappies in the deeper water (18-24 foot of water) on the little lake. Most of the crappies being kept are 10-12 inches. Morning bite is good until about 10am then slower action in midday and picking up at around 4pm. Walleye – Slow: Anglers seeking walleye should try their luck on the main lake. An occasional walleye may be caught on the west end or perhaps near the island.  Lake CorneliaCornelia has around 13 inches of ice. Yellow Bass – Good: Activity has been hit or miss. Fishing success earlier in the winter was in the deeper water. Fish with small jigs tipped with spikes. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are catching some small bluegills but not much for keepers.  Crystal LakeIce is 18 inches thick. Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are doing best on the dredge cut in 12 to 14 foot of water. They have been keeping fish in the 7.75 to 8.25 inch range. Crappie – Fair: Anglers are catching 10 to 11 inch black crappies in 17 foot of water. They are suspended 2 to 4 foot off the bottom.  Blue PitRainbow Trout – Good: 2,500 Rainbow trout were stocked on January 17th. Anglers should be able to catch them swimming along the shallower water along the edges. Try a small teardrop jig and a wax worm or a small jigging spoon. 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 LakeIce conditions are variable with snow on the ice. Vehicle traffic is not advised at this time. Ice reports have the ice being as thick as 17 inches in places with no snow cover, and 9 inches where there was snow cover. Yellow Perch – Slow: Few reports have shown that the perch bite on Spirit Lake has slowed. With only single digit catches coming off Stoney. Walleye – Fair: Walleyes are still being caught off Stoney Point but in fewer numbers than before. None have been creeled but reports from some fishermen have shown that the bite is occurring in the later hours after dark.  Center LakeThin ice signs have been placed around open water. Outside the thin ice signs, ice conditions showed ice in the 12-15 inch range. Bluegill – Fair: Fishermen are having varied success with bluegills, catching them on the south end and near the middle. Fish are being caught using tungsten to get through the smaller fish and get down deep to the larger gills.  East Okoboji LakeYellow Perch – Good: As the weather warms up perch activity has been increasing. Fish are being seen in the 20-25 foot range in various bays. Gold jigs tipped with wax worms are presenting the most success.  Minnewashta Lake Crappie – Fair. Bluegill – Good. Yellow Perch – Fair.  Silver Lake (Dickinson)Thin ice signs have been placed around the open water; ice conditions are variable with bad ice present in places. Ice conditions around the open water are variable with the thickest ice around 15-16 inches. The south end of open water has some ice at only 5 inches.  West Okoboji LakeYellow Perch – Good: Millers bay is still presenting a quality bite for those who want to brave the wind and cold. These perch are being caught in 20+ feet of water, size ranging from 7-10 inch. Anglers are having success using small jigs and wax worms. Fishermen are using jigging raps when the bite gets slow to bring fish back in. Most bays have been experiencing a quality perch bite once these fish are found. Crappie – Fair: Around 12:30 crappie move into the shallows of Millers suspending in about 7 foot of water. Working jigs high in the water column has led to success on multiple occasions for some anglers. Emerson has been seeing few of these crappies but they are beginning to school up in the deeper waters later in the afternoon. Right before dark these fish are beginning to show up in both Emerson and Millers. Bluegill – Good: Gills of nice size are being caught on the weed lines of Emerson and Millers bay. Slow falls and light jigging brings these fish in. Fish weed lines in less than 10 feet of water.  Ingham LakeThin ice signs have been placed around open water. Ice depths around open water show ice as thick as 11 inch outside of the thin ice signs.  Five Island LakeWalleye – Slow: The Walleye bite at Five Island has really picked up and fish are being caught in dredge holes and in Town bay. Fish ranging in the 14-20 inch range are being caught. Yellow Perch – Fair: Yellow perch are being caught in the deeper holes along with the Walleye. Perch are ranging from 8 to 11 inches.  NORTHEASTVolga LakeVolga Lake hasn’t seen a lot of action this week. There is about 10 inches of snow covering about 10 inches of ice. Please use caution when venturing on the ice. The road and parking lot have been plowed. Crappie – Slow: A fair number of anglers were catching their limits of crappie. Anglers were using a variety of small jigs tipped with minnows. Bluegill – Slow: Bluegills will bite on a small jig tipped with a wax worm. Best bet for a gill is to find brush piles or rock mounds.  Lake HendricksThere is about 12 inches of ice on the lake with about 12 inches of snow on top. Please use caution when going out on ice and check depths often. No ATV’s or motorized vehicles are allowed on the lake. There is open water around the aerator. Bluegill – Slow: Try using small light colored jigs with tipped wax worms. Mid afternoon bite is best and shuts down after dark. Fish around structure. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Bass are sneaking bait from bluegills here and there. Crappie – Slow: Try a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow. Best bet is to let your minnow do the talking.  Lake MeyerThe lake has about 12 inches of ice with about 8 to 10 inches of snow on top. Continue to use caution when going out on the ice. A few anglers have been venturing out with mixed reports of fish caught. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are catching bluegills but the bite remains spotty. Move to another location if you don’t get bites. Fish have been found at varying depths. Crappie – Slow: A few anglers have found crappie but the bite is really slow.  Airport LakeThere is about 8-9 inches of ice on Airport Lake with open water near the aerator. Use caution and check ice depths often. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers can find fish near structure or along sharp depth profile changes. Move often if fish don’t bite right away.  Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)The Upper Iowa has really opened up this past week especially around Decorah.  Anglers are finding fish above Lidtke Mill in Lime Springs. The impoundment has about 6 to 7 inches of ice. Please use extreme caution walking on river ice as flow may weaken it. Rock bass – Fair: Anglers are catching nice size rock bass above the dam in Lime Springs. They are using small jigs tipped with a wax worm.  Turkey River (above Clermont)Anglers have been having luck fishing in the mill pond above the Vernon Springs dam near Cresco. Please use caution when crossing river ice.  Bluegill – Slow: Fish have been caught off the bottom in about 5 feet of water. Small jigs tipped with wax worms work the best.  Cedar River (above Nashua)Backwaters are frozen. Use extreme caution when crossing areas with current. Ice thickness will vary. Anglers have been catching a variety of fish using a hook tipped with a wax worm or minnow. Crappie – Slow. Bluegill – Slow: The bite gets hot about 1 hour before and after sunset. Jigs tipped with wax worms are your best bet.  Decorah District StreamsUse caution when trying to get to your favorite spots as snow will cover uneven ground and ice. Some light black stonefly hatches have been taking place on warmer sunny afternoons. Anglers have also been taking trout on light spruce flies, small #20 caddis fly nymphs, and streamers. Brook Trout – Good: Angling strategies should change during the winter months. Angling should take place in the riffles; especially concentrate your lure/fly along the deeper channels running along a cut bank. Brown Trout – Good: Streams with better water quality will be open even during the coldest of weather. Many of the longer flat pools will be frozen. Frozen spots will open when sun hits them and temps warm up during the day. Rainbow Trout – Good: Anglers catching an 18 inch or bigger brownie are eligible for an Iowa Master Angler Certificate. For more information, please visit www.iowadnr.gov/masterangler. Fish activity continues to be slow on area lakes this week. After Thursday, mild weather will spoil folks through the weekend with temps in low to mid 30’s and a good chance of frozen precipitation Sunday. Continue to use caution when venturing out on any ice. Urban lake catchable trout stockings are taking place statewide. See our website for dates, times and locations. For local information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324. Silver Lake (Delaware)Silver Lake has offered up some catches of northern pike over the past few weeks. Concentrate in areas of water depth near the 6-8 feet of water. Use tip-ups or sight fishing is also good as the water is extremely clear. Northern Pike – Fair: Use tip-ups with a shiner below or fish with an ice jig tipped with a minnow or wax worm.  Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)Bluegills are reported as fair for Casey Lake. Fishing has slowed down some from what it had been; fish the deeper water near brush piles. Bluegill – Fair: Small ice fishing jigs tipped with a wax worm has been good.  Martens LakeMartens Lake continues to report some catches of both bluegill and crappie. Anglers have been driving off the boat ramp onto the lake as of late. Access is also available from the northwest corner by walking across the reservoir and over the dike.  Ice conditions remain good across most Black Hawk County area lakes but always take precautions when venturing onto ice. Most lakes and anglers have really slowed down with the recent onset of heavy snow and cold. Anglers just need to get out and try different areas, the weather forecast looks for warmer temperatures ahead. For more information call the Manchester District Office at 563-927-3276. MISSISSIPPI RIVERMississippi River Pool 9River level at Lansing has remained stable at around 8 feet. Many anglers continue to concentrate fishing on Shore Slough and Village Creek areas.  Yellow Perch – Fair: Nice perch continue to caught but the bite has slowed. Bluegill – Fair: The bite has been variable but fish are being caught early morning and later afternoon using jigs and wax-worm. Northern Pike – Fair: Some nicer size pike are being caught. Try tip-up fishing using shiners in backwater areas. Crappie – Fair: Not a lot of crappie being caught through the ice, but the ones biting are nice sizes. Wax worms and minnows fished in submersed trees work well. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Tip-ups baited with a minnow can produce some larger bass.  Mississippi River Pool 10River Level at Lynxville has fallen to 14.2 feet. The boat ramp at Lynxville remains closed. Sny Magill continues to be popular for panfish and northern pike. Bluegill – Fair: Many bluegills up to 8 inches being caught using jigs and wax-worm although recent results have been mixed. Crappie – Fair: Nice crappie still being caught through the ice, although success has slowed. Northern Pike – Fair: Some nicer size pike are being caught. Try tip-up fishing using shiners in backwater areas. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Largemouth fishing has been good using tip-ups baited with a minnow suspended at mid-depth under the ice. Yellow Perch – Fair: Occasional nice sized perch being reported from the Greymore lake area.  Mississippi River Pool 11River level at Guttenberg has fallen to 5.7 feet. The city ramp in Guttenberg and the DNR ramp are blocked with ice.  Small flat-bottom boats have been pushing out over ice in the DNR harbor to reach open water.  Sauger – Slow: Tail water fishing is difficult to access at this time but a few saugers are being caught jigging minnows below the locks. Walleye – Slow: Tail water fishing is difficult to access at this time but a few walleye are being caught jigging minnows below the locks. Bluegill – Fair: The bite has been variable but fish are being caught early morning and later afternoon, using jigs and wax-worm. Yellow Perch – Fair: Perch have been biting on wax worms in the Zollicoffer Slough area at Mud Lake. Largemouth Bass – Fair: The bass population is excellent in Mud Lake and Sunfish Lakes. Tip-ups baited with a minnow can produce some larger bass. Northern Pike – Fair: Some nicer size pike are being caught. Try tip-up fishing using shiners in backwater areas.  Recent cold weather has helped to solidify ice conditions, although snow cover will act to insulate, so weak areas may still exist in areas near run off or current. Close to 10 inches of ice exists in many areas, but cold temperatures and snow cover have slowed fishing success a bit. Mississippi River Pool 12The water level at Dubuque Lock and Dam is at 5.7 feet and the water level at the Dubuque railroad bridge is at 8.3 feet, both down from last week. Water is expected to drop slightly all week. Lots of water reported on ice but some places still have sufficient ice depths but never venture out without checking ice thickness. Crappie – Fair: Most fishing is taking place in the various marinas and Hennebery and Tippy lakes around Dubuque.  Try a jig or a minnow for best results.  Anglers report crappie fishing from poor to excellent. Bluegill – Fair: Backwater ice conditions vary within the pool.  Bluegill populations are very good in the Mississippi River.  Some nice gills were reported from Tippy’s Lake. Northern Pike – No Report: Pike populations are robust in the river right now and fishing with tip ups have been reported at various locations.  Both bass and pike were being caught on the tip ups but fishing has slowed down some. Yellow Perch – Good: Lots of yellow perch have been reported throughout the district.  In some places it has been the dominant species caught.  It appears at least three size classes of ring perch biting with the small ones being the most common to hit the wax worms.  Mississippi River Pool 13The water level at Bellevue is at 6.3 feet which is down a half a foot from last week.  Levels are expected to drop slightly. Most backwaters have good ice conditions. The City of Bellevue Ramp has been open but ice flows have hampered launching at times.  Bluegill – Fair: Consistent ice is available for ice anglers but the bite for large fish has been slow. In some spots numerous small bluegills have been hitting. Sauger – Good: When boats could get into the tail water this winter, fishing has ranged from poor to excellent. Lots of weather fronts and water level changes can make fishing walleye and sauger a challenge.  As of Thursday, the ramp was open but call ahead before making a long trip to Bellevue. Yellow Perch – Good: The number of yellow perch caught this year has been a pleasant surprise for anglers.  In some places it has been the dominant species caught.  It appears at least three size classes of ring perch are biting with the small ones being the most common to hit the wax worms. Crappie – Fair: Some Crappie are being reported out of the deeper water pockets in the Sabula Area Lakes.  At times some crappies are also being reported out of Browns Lake as well.  Mississippi River Pool 14The water level at Fulton is 5.2 feet, the water level at Camanche is near 9.3 feet, and the water level above the dam at LeClaire is 4.4 feet, all down from last week.  Water levels are expected to drop slightly this week.  Most backwaters are reported as safe ice for fishing with ice depth at 6 or more inches.  Never venture across current areas or areas with unknown ice.  Snow on top of the ice makes it difficult to determine open patches.  Bluegill – Good: Most of the winter small bluegills have been reported to us in Rock Creek backwater, Sunfish backwater and the Cattail backwater.  This past week some nicer gills were reported in lower cattail slough.  Also some small gills reported out of Joyces Slough by Clinton. Sauger – No Report: Winter fishing reports are varied in Pool 14 but certainly some nice sauger were being caught on three way rigs and jigs much earlier this winter.  Access to the tail waters may be a challenge. Yellow Perch – Fair: Small yellow perch are also being reported at most backwater locations in Pool 14.  It is a good sign for the future but frustrating now finding larger fish.  Mississippi River Pool 15The water level at Rock Island is 5.1 feet, down from last week. Water temperature is 33 degrees and water clarity is good.  No fishing was reported to us on Pool 15 this week.  Bluegill – No Report: Most panfish have moved into their overwintering homes for the winter.  Marinas often offer overwintering areas on Pool 15 but ice fishing conditions were poor most of this season.  Now we have some good conditions and fishing may pick up.  Backwater ice has improved in many spots, in some places water is reported under the snow making walking and air boating difficult. Have a safety plan when you venture out.  Let people know where you are going and take safety and rescue equipment with you.  Never venture out onto unfamiliar ice without checking its thickness.   SOUTHEASTLake GeodeUNSAFE ICE. The ice is pretty much rotten, now it’s not only rotten it has snow piled up on it.  Bluegill – No Report. Lake Belva DeerUNSAFE ICE. Actually some open water down by the dam. Lots of snow piled up on ice that’s in bad shape. Bluegill – No Report:  Lake of the HillsUse extreme caution on the ice. The condition of the ice is getting worse and it was already highly variable thickness across the lake to start with, now it has snow on top to hide the thinner ice. Bluegill – Slow: The anglers out on the ice seem to be moving about every ten minutes and are not having much luck finding the fish.  Lake DarlingUNSAFE ICE. About 10 hours of rain and above freezing temps on Saturday turning to 10 inches of snow piling up on the ice Sunday, and we only had about 3 inches of good ice left before all that happened. Bluegill – No Report. Big Hollow LakeUNSAFE ICE. Conditions certainly haven’t improved since last week. Bluegill – No Report.For more information on the above lakes call the Lake Darling Fisheries Station at 319-694-2430. Lake WapelloVery little fishing activity has been occurring and very few anglers have been out. Ice thickness varies by area and ice conditions have deteriorated during the past 2 weeks. Use caution when venturing out onto the ice and drill a lot of test holes. There is open water out from the beach.  Red Haw LakeIce thickness varies by area and ice conditions have deteriorated in the past 2 weeks. There is now about 4 inches of clear ice with 2 inches of slushy ice under the snow. Use caution when venturing out onto the ice and drill a lot of test holes.  Lake MiamiLake Miami is currently undergoing a lake renovation and is 6-8 feet below normal.  Lake SugemaIce thickness varies by area and ice conditions have deteriorated from 2 weeks ago. Use caution when venturing out onto the ice and drill a lot of test holes.  Rathbun ReservoirThe current lake level is 904.47. Don’t forget Lake Rathbun contains zebra mussels so make sure to clean, drain, and dry equipment before transporting to another water body. The entrance to Southfork marina is closed for the season. Ice thickness varies across the lake and conditions have deteriorated in the past 2 weeks. Use caution if venturing out onto the ice and drill a lot of test holes. Crappie – No Report: Fishing activity is very low and very few anglers have been out. Please remember to take your trash with you so your favorite fishing spot is clean. Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions regarding angling in south central Iowa. Use caution in south central Iowa as the lakes and ponds have varying thicknesses of ice. SOUTHWESTBeaver LakeCrappie – Fair: A good crappie population of 9 to 10 inch fish exists. Sunset and just after would be a good time to try using glow jigs with wax worms or minnows. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills are being caught near the tree tops in the center of the lake and near the drop-off to the deepest portion of the lake.  Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve Lake (west)Bluegill – Good: Good size bluegills are being caught during the day throughout the lake. A good general area to start is the west half of the lake from the dam up to where the flooded trees start. Crappie – Fair: Crappie from 8 to 12 inches are being caught moving from hole to hole in the flooded trees on the upper half of the lake.  Big Creek LakeBig Creek has ice ranging from 8 to 10 inches with scattered weak spots around the edges. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegill fishing has been fair to slow. Anglers moving around fishing habitat in 10 to 25 foot of water are picking up some good size gills using very small ice jigs with spikes or partial wax worms. Walleye – Fair: The walleye bite is fair to good in the evenings fishing the sharp drops to the creek channel from mid-lake on to the south. Use glowing jigging spoons or jigging crankbaits with live minnows or minnow heads.  Dale Maffitt ReservoirDue to the lowering of water levels and the potential for unsafe gaps under the ice, ice fishing is prohibited for the remainder of the 2015 ice season.  Hickory Grove LakeIce thickness is varied throughout the lake from 6 to 8 inches. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills are being caught on the pallet and brush piles at depths of 15 foot or deeper. Afternoon fishing up to sunset has been best. Crappie – Fair: The anglers catching most crappie are finding them over brush piles more so than the pallets. During the evening and past dark use glow jigs and wax worms or glowing jigging spoons with minnows.  Lake PetokaRainbow Trout – Good: Trout were stocked on January 30th. Anglers are catching them as they school throughout the lake using jigging spoons with wax worms, live minnows, or artificial trout baits.  Ada Hayden Heritage Park LakeTrout will be stocked Saturday, February 7th at noon. There will also be a family fishing event held at the same time with an area reserved for kid’s fishing. Free hotdogs and hot chocolate will be available first come first serve.  Central Iowa lakes north of I-80 have 6 to 10 inches of ice with some weaker, slushy spots around the edges after the heavy snow. Anglers should use caution south of I-80 as ice was mostly less than 6 inches with thin edges before the heavy snow. For information on central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823.  Littlefield LakeLittlefield has 7 inches of ice. There was open water out from the beach and along the dam on February 3rd. Bluegill – No Report. Crappie – No Report.  Lake AnitaThe main lake was open from the beach to the dam on February 3rd. The upper arms have 6 inches of snow covered ice. Bluegill – No Report. Black Crappie – No Report.Many area lakes that reopened with the warm weather froze over during the recent cold snap. The new ice was covered with a heavy blanket of snow. As a reminder, snow acts as insulation preventing the cold air from growing ice as quickly as it would if there was no snow. Lakes in the northern part of the district have 5 to 7 inches but had areas of open water earlier this week. For more information call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587. Green Valley LakeLittle fishing activity observed this past week.  Three Mile LakeLittle fishing activity observed over the past week. Open water reported at the main boat ramp, north boat ramp, along the dam, and near the campground on the east shore.   Twelve Mile Creek LakeAnglers report 4 to 9 inches of ice. Geese are keeping an area of open water near the dam on the southwest side of the lake. Bluegill – Slow: Bluegills up to 8 inches have been caught on wax worms near the roadbed. Crappie – Slow: Crappies up to 10 inches have been caught on minnows near the roadbed.  Variable ice thickness has been reported by anglers this week on Mount Ayr district lakes. Ice conditions have deteriorated with snow cover and windy conditions. The district includes Page, Taylor, Adams, Union, Ringgold, Decatur, Clarke and Madison counties. For more information call: 641-464-3108. È