NORTHWEST
Nelson Park Lake
Nelson Park Lake has received little to no angling activity this week.
Crawford Creek Impoundment
Bluegill – Fair: Anglers have been picking up 6-8 inch bluegill in 10-20 feet of water using jigs and wax worms. Anglers who stay mobile are more likely to locate and stay on top of fish.
Brushy Creek Lake
Brushy has about 10-12 inches of good ice. Fishing on the south end of the lake continues to be popular, with anglers targeting the Taylor’s Island and Cedar Point areas. Fishing activity is increasing again in the northern stretches of the lake. Bluegill – Slow: Some bluegill are being picked up in about 30 feet of water. Yellow Perch – Slow: Anglers have been picking up a few yellow perch while fishing for crappie. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappies are being caught in a variety of different depths, most commonly between 25-28 feet and 35 feet on submerged structure. Anglers are having luck using a minnow and spoon. Wax worms and spikes with different colored jigs have also been productive. Walleye – Slow.
Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Most of Storm Lake has around 15 -20 inches of ice; there are reports of a small area of open water near College Island and another just north of the big island. Yellow Perch – Fair: Yellow perch 6-7 inches are being picked up near Kings Point using a small spoon and wax worm. White Bass – Fair: Anglers are picking up some white bass 8-9 inches near Kings Point area and in the deeper dredged areas while fishing for walleye. Walleye – Slow: Anglers have had the most luck fishing near Stony Point. A few are also being picked up in the dredge cuts on the east side in about 13-14 feet of water. Spoons and minnows are working the best.
North Twin Lake
There has been little angling activity on North Twin this week.
Black Hawk Lake
The winter aeration system is on in the Town Bay. Ice thickness is 12-13 inches off Ice House Point boat ramp. Walleye – Slow: The walleye bite has been slow. Anglers have picked up some near dredge cuts by Denison Beach and Lakewood Point areas. Yellow Perch – Slow: Some yellow perch have been picked up in between the Denison Beach and Lakewood Point areas. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are catching smaller bluegill. Some have picked up 8 inch fish. Anglers are marking large numbers of bluegill near the bottom, but the bite is slow. Those having the best luck are using wax worms on a small jig fished around Ice House Point and Shotgun Point areas.
Southwood Conservation Area Pond (east)
Bluegill – Slow: Anglers have picked up some bluegills in the deeper water (15-20 feet) using wax worms on a jig.
Arrowhead Lake
Arrowhead Lake has 9 inches of ice off the boat ramp. Bluegill – Slow: Some keeper bluegills have been caught in the middle of the lake and along the east side; most are being caught on a small jig tipped with a wax worm fished in 15-16 feet of water.
Black Hawk Pits
There is 9-10 inches of ice off the boat ramp. Bluegill – Fair: Anglers have been catching bluegill using small jigs tipped with wax worms. The fish are active, so be mobile to locate and keep on top of fish. Yellow Perch – Slow: Some yellow perch have been picked up while fishing for bluegill. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Anglers are catching largemouth bass while fishing for bluegill.
Moorland Pond
Rainbow Trout – Slow: Rainbow trout are being caught while anglers are targeting perch. Yellow Perch – Fair: Fishing activity is continuing to be productive for perch fishing with different colored jigs tipped with a red worm. Fish are being caught in 10-12 feet of water. Channel Catfish – Slow: Some channel catfish have been caught while jigging.
Des Moines River (Humboldt to Stratford)
Most of the Humboldt County stretch has ice, but the Corn Belt Dam near Frank Gotch Park has some open water and is a popular fishery. Anglers frequently pick up walleye and smallmouth bass at this location, with success dependent on migrations and water levels. Good fishing in this location can be expected in spring open water season. Due to the extreme variability in ice conditions on rivers, avoid venturing onto the ice and fish these open water areas from the bank.
Little Sioux Park Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Anglers have had some luck picking up channel catfish.
Most lakes in the Black Hawk district have anywhere from 9-18 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.
Clear Lake
The bite has been a bit slower in this cold weather. Reminder – Permeant ice shacks must be removed by February 20th. Yellow Bass – Fair: Yellow bass have been caught in 8-10 feet of water on the little lake and in the Baptist Camp area. Anglers have reported bigger yellows and less sorting on the main lake around the island in about 12 feet of water. Crappie – Fair: Action for crappies has slowed but they can still be caught in the deeper water (18-24 feet) 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 around 4pm. Walleye – Fair: Some walleyes have been caught near the west aerator this week. Channel Catfish – Slow: An occasional catfish has been caught. Try Farmers Beach to Baptist camp area.
Crystal Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Action has been hit or miss depending on the day but anglers should be able to continue to catch 5-15 gills a trip. Anglers are doing best on the dredge cut in 12 to 14 feet of water. They have been keeping fish in the 7.75 to 8.25 inch range. Crappie – Slow.
Blue Pit
Rainbow Trout – No Report: 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.
Mill Creek (Lake)
Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are reporting quality bluegills are being caught. Anglers are using small jigs tipped with spikes or wax worms. Reports say they are connecting with either bait.
Big Spirit Lake
Northern Pike – Fair: Anglers are beginning to have success using tip ups on the north end of Spirit, Anglers bay, Hales Slough, and along the grade. Yellow Perch – Slow: Very few yellow perch are being caught during the day. The only perch being caught are from anglers staying on the ice past sunset.
West Okoboji Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Bluegill are still being caught in the 10-12 feet range in bays with distinct weed lines. These fish are reported to be biting on small gold and yellow jigs. Bays with these weed lines include: Emerson, Miller, Triboji, Echo, and Browns. Yellow Perch – Fair: The perch bite has consolidated into a select few bays including Emerson and Haywards bay. These bays have been reporting consistent perch in the 9 inch range. Fishermen are moving around following these schools rather than holding in one place. Fish are being caught on jigging rapalas, Acme sidewinder, Lindy little joes, and kastmasters.
Scharnberg Pond
Rainbow Trout – Good: Lake stocked with 1500 trout on January 31st, with good catches being reported.
Reminder – Permeant ice shacks need to be removed by Feb. 20th
SOUTHWEST
Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve Lake (west)
Bluegill – Good: Good size bluegills are being caught during the day throughout the lake. A good 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.
Beaver Lake
Crappie – Fair: A good crappie population of 9 to 10 inch fish exists. Sunset and just after is 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.
Big Creek Lake
Ice conditions are good with 9 to 12 inches. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegill fishing has been fair to slow. Anglers moving around fishing habitat in 10 to 25 feet of water are picking up some good size bluegills 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 crank baits with live minnows or minnow heads.
Dale Maffitt Reservoir
Due 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 Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills are being caught on the pallet and brush piles at depths of 15 feet or deeper. Afternoon fishing up to sunset has been best. Crappie – Fair: Anglers are catching most crappie over brush piles more so than the pallets. Use glow jigs and wax worms or glowing jigging spoons with minnows during the evening and past dark.
Lake Ahquabi
Thin ice and open water are occurring around the fish house and beach area. Avoid accessing the lake in this area. Bluegill – Good: Anglers are catching good size bluegills over the habitat out from the NW shoreline across from the beach area.
Lake Petoka
Rainbow 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 Lake
Rainbow Trout – Good: 2,200 rainbow trout were stocked on Saturday, February 7th. They are being caught mostly 15 to 40 yards off shore using jigs tipped with wax worms or prepared trout baits and small live minnows.
Ice conditions are good on most central Iowa lakes. Ice thickness varies from 6 to 12 inches. For information on central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823.
Greenfield Lake
We received no information this week.
Littlefield Lake
Access is from the north parking lot only as the south half of Littlefield has open water. Bluegill – Fair: Good catches of bluegills have been reported from anglers fishing the brush piles on the north side of the lake.
Cold Springs Lake
Ice thickness ranges for 4 to 6 inches. Bluegill – Fair: 7-inch bluegills are being caught in the southwest corner.
Lake Anita
We received no information this week.
Viking Lake
We received no information this week.
Lake Manawa
We received no information this week.
Cold Springs District Farm Ponds
We received no information this week. Bluegill – No Report: Fish with small jigs tipped with a wax worm in the deeper water. Black Crappie – No Report: Best crappie catches are early and late in the day.
Ice conditions in the southwest district are variable from open water to 6 inches. Extreme caution is advised. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587.
West Lake (Osceola)
Anglers report 7-8 inches of ice. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegill up to 8 inches have been caught on jigs tipped with a wax worm fished near points or along the channel. Crappie – Good: Crappies up to 9 inches have been caught on wax worms fished near points or along the channel.
Little River Watershed Lake
Little fishing activity observed this week. Open water reported near the dam and along the campground.
Green Valley Lake
Anglers report 5-9 inches of ice. Geese are keeping an area of open water near the boat ramp in the northeast arm. The open water now extends past the fishing pier. Very little fishing activity has been observed this past week.
Three Mile Lake
Little fishing activity observed this week. Open water reported at the main boat ramp and along the dam.
Twelve Mile Creek Lake
Anglers report 8-12 inches of ice. Geese are keeping an area of open water on the south end of the lake. Bluegill – Slow: Bluegills up to 8 inches have been caught on wax worms near the roadbed. Crappie – Slow: Crappies up to 11 inches have been caught on minnows near the roadbed.
Variable ice thickness has been reported by anglers this week on Mount Ayr district lakes. Areas of open water have been reported on several district lakes. The district includes Page, Taylor, Adams, Union, Ringgold, Decatur, Clarke and Madison counties. For more information, call 641-464-3108.
NORTHEAST
Volga Lake
Volga Lake hasn’t seen a lot of action this week. Quite a bit of snow melted and refroze. There is about 5 inches of hard, crusty snow covering about 15 inches of ice. Use caution when venturing on the ice. Crappie – Slow: 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 is to find brush piles or rock mounds.
Lake Hendricks
There is about 15 inches of ice on the lake. Much of the snow has melted leaving a hard 3 inch layer of slushy refrozen snow on top. Use caution when venturing 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. Midafternoon bite is best and shuts down after dark. Fish around structure and toward the bottom. Crappie – Slow: Try a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow. Best bet is to let your minnow do the talking.
Lake Meyer
The lake has about 15 inches of ice with about a 3 inch layer of hard slushy refrozen snow on top. Continue to use caution when going out on the ice. Few anglers have been venturing out with mixed reports of fish caught. The bite seems to be from about 3pm to dark. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are catching bluegills but the bite remains spotty. If you don’t get bites, move to another location. Fish have been found at varying depths. Crappie – Slow: A few anglers have found crappie but the bite is really slow. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Schools of small largemouth bass have been found in the lake. Anglers happening on a school can catch quite a few but if they’re less than 15 inches, they must be released.
Airport Lake
There is about 12 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 is open but new ice is forming especially in this cold spell. Use extreme caution walking on river ice as flow may weaken it. Rock bass – No Report.
Turkey River (above Clermont)
Anglers have been having luck fishing in the mill pond above the Vernon Springs dam near Cresco. 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 – No Report. Bluegill – No Report: Jigs tipped with wax worms are your best bet.
Decorah District Streams
Use 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. Spin fishers using worms fished through riffles are taking nice catches of fish. 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: The scientific name for brown trout is “Salmo trutta” derived from Latin which roughly translates as “leaping trout”. Rainbow Trout – Good: Traditionally now is a good time to find rainbow heading upstream to spawn. If you do land a spawning fish, please practice CPR (Catch, Photograph, and Release).
Temperatures will be in the mid-20s on Saturday but falling to 10 on Sunday. Sunny skies will help the illusion of warmth on Sunday. Fish activity continues to be slow on area lakes. Use caution when venturing out on any ice. Snow covering ice may hide weak spots on the 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.
Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Fishing has slowed 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 Lake
Martens Lake continues to report some catches of both bluegill and crappie. Anglers have been driving off the boat ramp onto the lake. Access is also available from the northwest corner by walking across the reservoir and over the dike. Bluegill – Fair: A jig tipped with a wax worm has been best. Sight fishing is generally best if water is clear. Crappie – Fair: A jig tipped with a wax worm or crappie minnow is best. Sight fishing is generally best if water is clear.
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 with the recent onset of below freezing temperatures. Anglers just need to get out and try different areas. For more information call the Manchester District Office at 563-927-3276.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Mississippi River Pool 9
River 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 be 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 worms. 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 10
River 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 worms, 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 – Good: Occasional nice sized perch being reported from the Greymore lake area.
Mississippi River Pool 11
River level at Guttenberg has fallen to 5.4 feet. The city ramp in Guttenberg and the DNR ramp are blocked with ice. Ice has formed up to the lower lock wall and no anglers have been venturing out in the tail waters. Sauger – No Report. Walleye – No Report: Bluegill – Fair: The bite has been variable but fish are being caught early morning and later afternoon, using jigs and wax worms. Anglers are reporting nicer size bluegills in the 8-9 inch range. Yellow Perch – Fair: Nice sized perch continue to be caught in the Zollicoffer Slough area at Sunfish Lake but the bite has slowed. 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.
Cold weather continues to solidify ice conditions. Ice thickness is better than 12 inches in many areas. Cold weather continues to slow the bite and the amount of anglers.
Mississippi River Pool 12
The water level at Dubuque Lock and Dam is near 6.0 feet and near 8.6 feet at the Dubuque RR Bridge. Water is expected to be stable this week. Bluegill – Fair: Backwater ice conditions at most popular backwaters is excellent. Bluegill populations are very good in the Mississippi River. Some nice bluegills were reported from Tippys Lake. Northern Pike – No Report: Pike populations are robust in the river right now and fishing with tip-ups has been reported at various locations. Both bass and pike were being caught on tip-ups but fishing has slowed some. Yellow Perch – Good: Lots of yellow perch have been reported throughout the district. It has been the dominant species caught in some places. At least three size classes of ring perch are biting, with the small ones being the most common to hit the wax worms.
Mississippi River Pool 13
The water level at Bellevue is at 6.3 feet and stable. The city ramp into the tail water is back to being frozen in and boat access will be difficult. Bluegill – Fair: Consistent ice is available but the bite for large fish has been slow. Numerous small bluegills have been hitting in some spots. Yellow Perch – Good: The number of yellow perch caught this year has been a pleasant surprise. It has been the dominant species caught in some places. 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. Some crappies are also being reported out of Browns Lake.
Mississippi River Pool 14
The water level at Camanche is near 9.3 feet and near 4.6 feet above the dam at LeClaire. Water levels are expected to be stable 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 in the Rock Creek, Sunfish, and Cattail backwaters. Some nicer bluegills were reported in lower cattail slough. Also some small bluegills were reported out of Joyces Slough by Clinton. Yellow Perch – Fair: Small yellow perch are 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 15
The water level at Rock Island is near 4.0 feet, down from last week. Water temperature is 33 degrees and water clarity is good. No fishing was reported 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. Fishing may pick up with the recent conditions.
Conditions and fishing is similar to the past week. Fish bite well at times, with long periods of very slow fishing. Have a safety plan when you venture out. Let people know where you are going and take safety and rescue equipment with you.
Mississippi River Pool 16
Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities is 5.55 feet. The Marquette St boat ramp is still open. There is a ridge of ice at the bottom of the ramp along the water’s edge that may make launching difficult. Sylvan Slough is iced over but the main channel was open up to the dam. Cold temperatures could change main channel conditions, making the ramp unusable. The lower part of pool 16 is frozen over again. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are still catching some bluegills through the ice at Sunset Marina. Fishing is being reported as hit or miss. We have not received ice thickness reports for Sunset Marina. Sauger – No Report: We have not received any tail water fishing reports this week.
Mississippi River Pool 17
There was a lot of flow ice coming down the main channel in front of the Muscatine boat ramps. Last week, ice conditions in Big Timber were 5-7 inches, with some thinner ice in some spots. Big Timber has some flow and groundwater that seeps in that can create variable ice conditions, so use caution. A couple of spots downstream from the boat ramp in Big Timber appeared to have some open water that recently refroze with the cold snap.
Mississippi River Pool 18
Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 17 above New Boston is 5.04 feet. We have not received any reports on whether or not the main channel has frozen up along the Toolsboro ramp.
Mississippi River Pool 19
Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington is 2.62 feet. We have not received any fishing information for this pool this week.
With the recent cold snap and more cold weather in the forecast, the main channel is beginning to freeze up again. We have not received much for ice fishing reports this week. If venturing out, check ice thickness often as you move. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.
SOUTHEAST
Lake Geode
UNSAFE. Geode didn’t have a good layer of ice left for the cold weather to work with and the geese had a pretty good hole open. Bluegill – No Report:
Lake Belva Deer
The cold weather has rebuilt most of the ice back to “safer” conditions. Stay away from tight groups of flooded trees and the outlet structure. Bluegill – Fair: The really cold weather is good for rebuilding the ice, but it isn’t good for getting anglers out.
Lake Darling
There is about 5 inches of ice on the lake but the top 2 or 3 are as white as milk and full of air bubbles. There is open water near the in-lake silt dams; the sun has some real power this time of year. Bluegill – No Report:
For more information on the above lakes call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.
Lake of the Hills
Use caution on the ice. Ice thickness is highly variable, but still around 9 inches. Lake of the Hills is the only lake in West Lake Park where you can use live minnow as bait. Bluegill – Fair: Anglers still need to move, but are having better luck finding the fish this week on the brush piles out front of the main boat ramp parking lot.
Big Hollow Lake
UNSAFE ICE. Bluegill – No Report:
For more information on the lakes above, call the Lake Darling Fisheries Station at 319-694-2430.
Hannen Lake
Ice conditions are about 9 inches. Bluegill – Slow. Crappie – Slow.
Iowa Lake
The lake has about 6 inches of good ice and a few inches of poor ice. Bluegill – Slow. Crappie – Slow.
Lake Macbride
Most of the lake has 10+ inches of ice. Bluegill – Good: Size is poor but numbers are usually good. Get around rock, stumps, or brush and use a jig and waxie. Crappie – Fair: Some anglers are having success around brush, and some are catching suspended fish over deeper water. Small spoons or jigs tipped with waxies are working best. Sunrise and sunset are most productive. Channel Catfish – Fair: Look in 20+ feet of water. They may be from the bottom to half way up the water column. Spoons or minnows are working. Walleye – Slow: A few walleyes, mostly smaller, are being caught early and late in the day. Fish around rock in deeper water.
Pleasant Creek Lake
Ice conditions are good here…10+ inches in most areas. Bluegill – Fair: Most fish are coming off the dam in 15-20 feet of water. Use small jigs and waxies. Yellow Perch – Slow: An occasional perch is being caught near the dam or on humps by bluegill and walleye fishermen. Walleye – Fair: Fish the dam or humps with spoons or jigs tipped with bait. Mornings and evening are best. Most fish are smaller, but some keepers are being caught. White Bass – Fair: Fish over deeper water with a jig or spoon and wait for a school to come by. A few wipers are being caught mixed in.
Diamond Lake
Ice conditions are improving, but be careful and drill frequently to check ice. Bluegill – Good. Crappie – Good.
Coralville Reservoir
Ice conditions are variable. There has been very little fishing activity on the lake.
Terry Trueblood Lake
Rainbow Trout – Fair: Use small jigs or spoons and tip them with waxies or minnows. You must have a trout stamp to fish for or possess trout.
For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Lake Wapello
Very little fishing activity has been occurring and very few anglers have been out. Ice thickness varies by area. Use caution when venturing out and drill several test holes. There is open water out from the beach.
Red Haw Lake
Ice thickness varies by area. Use caution when venturing out and drill several test holes. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers have been catching a few bluegills using small jigs and a wax worm.
Lake Miami
Lake Miami is currently undergoing a lake renovation and is 6-8 feet below normal.
Lake Sugema
Ice thickness varies by area. Use caution when venturing out and drill several test holes. Fishing activity has been low.
Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 904.82. 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. Use caution when venturing out and drill several test holes. Fishing activity is very low and very few anglers have been out.
Take your trash with you so your favorite fishing spot is clean and litter free. 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.
