4 16 2015

NORTHWEST
Brushy Creek Lake
Bluegill – Slow: Anglers have reported catching bluegill in about 15 feet of water using waxworms and red worms.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Walleye – Fair: Anglers have reported catching walleye near shore in the evenings. Successful anglers have been fishing the south shore areas of the lake near Stony Point. Yellow Perch – Fair: Perch have been caught on crawlers fished under a bobber. Others have caught perch near shore while walleye fishing. White Bass – Fair: White bass are being caught along the east side of the lake near the little island.

Black Hawk Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Anglers continue to catch bluegills in Town Bay along the shoreline and off the piers. Try using a crawler fished under a bobber. Walleye – Fair: Walleye are being picked up in Town Bay and near Ice House Point. Anglers are having success using twisters, small minnows, and crawlers. Anglers fishing along the south shore of Town Bay near Ice House Point during sunset are having the best luck. Yellow Perch – Fair: Anglers are catching perch on crawlers.

Little Sioux River (Linn Grove to Correctionville)
Walleye – Fair: Anglers are catching walleye in the evenings using twisters.

Des Moines River (Humboldt to Stratford)
Walleye – Fair: Anglers have reported catching walleye on twisters fished in the evening.
For more information on the Black Hawk District call 712-657-2638.

Beeds Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Fish in the afternoons or late evenings with worms, stink bait, or cut bait.

Lower Pine Lake
There has been some angler activity this week and the docks are in. The surface temperature is 58 degrees, so the fishing is just about ready to turn on.

Clear Lake
Crappie – Fair: Crappies are starting to use the edges of the north shore rushes and canals. Walleye – Good: Wader and boat fisherman near the outlet on the east shoreline are catching fish on jigs and a minnow or artificials. An occasional walleye has been taken near the jetty near Ventura. Channel Catfish – Fair: No reports, but catfish should be biting near any inflows of water or a windy shoreline. Fish with cut bait, worms or minnows. Muskellunge – Good: Wader fisherman are reporting being bitten off occasionally by the outlet, so muskies are active. Yellow Bass – Good: Anglers have had small numbers of yellow bass in the little lake in the shallows fishing with minnows.

Bluebill Lake
Largemouth Bass – Good: Largemouth bass are biting well on artificial lures along the shorelines. The minimum size limit for largemouth bass is 15 inches. Crappie – Good: Crappies are biting on the sunny days near the rock jetty with bobbers and minnows.

Winnebago River
Northern Pike – Good: Northern pike (2-3 lbs.) are biting well in the deeper pools on artificial lures in the Winnebago River.

East Fork Des Moines (Algona to Humboldt)
Anglers are catching a few walleyes.

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
Northern Pike – Good: Anglers fishing at Buffalo Run, Hales Slough, and at the north grade have been reporting quality catch rates for northern pike. Use hollow body 4-8 inch swimbaits. Drag and lift them along the bottom slowly. Anglers are also using black spinnerbaits with varied success. Black Crappie – Fair: Buffalo Run is holding small crappie 30 feet out from the mouth of Buffalo Run. Use slip bobbers tipped with crappie bites. Allow the rig to drift along the rocks. Bullhead – Good: A fair number of keeper bullheads are being caught in gillnets on Big Stoney. They will bite on anything, which makes for a great fishing experience for younger kids. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Smallmouth are being seen along rocky shores and caught pulling slow deep diving crankbait. Bullhead – Good: The north grade is producing many bullheads. Anglers are reporting good numbers using worms weighted to the bottom.

East Okoboji Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Channel catfish have been seen in good numbers at Lone Tree Point, Little Stoney, and near parks marina. These fish are being caught in gill nets and are getting larger as the water temperature increases. Yellow Bass – Slow: Some large yellow bass have been seen in gill nets at Lone Tree Point and parks marina. These fish are not being seen in great numbers. Northern Pike – Fair: Many northern pike are being caught in gill nets. They can be found just about everywhere on East.

West Okoboji Lake
We received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week. Channel Catfish – Fair: Large channel catfish are being caught in gill nets at night. Three were caught Monday night that were 10lbs. Northern Pike – Fair: Northern pike are becoming more abundant in the shallows. Few large females were caught in gill nets Monday night. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Anglers are reporting an increase in smallmouth bass catch on sunny calm days. These fish are being caught over sand flats near rocks. Pulling a crankbait slow at this time is your best bet. Bluegill – Good: Many anglers are having success fishing the canals. Water temperatures are 4 to 5 degrees warmer in the canals, which brings fish in from the cooler waters. Use a worm and bobber or small feather jigs for the best results.

Diamond Lake
Yellow Perch – Fair: The north bank is holding a few 10 inch perch. These fish are on the bank in the exposed rocks. An angler reported these fish were caught using ice jigs and crappie bites.

Little Sioux River (state line to Linn Grove)
Channel Catfish – Good: Channel catfish are being caught using stink bait of any kind. Find a deep hole on the outside bend of the river or fish above a riffle. Fish that are being caught range from 1lb to 12lb.

West Fork Des Moines (state line to Emmetsburg)
Walleye – Fair: More and more anglers are reporting increased walleye catch along the Hwy 18 bridge. Fish are being caught using twister tails and shad raps. Fish the snags parallel to the bank.

West Fork Des Moines (Emmetsburg to Humboldt)
Channel Catfish – Fair: Catfish are being caught in fair numbers at any of the bridge access points in Emmetsburg. Anglers are having success using stink bait. Walleye – Slow: Persistent anglers willing to walk to find fish have been successful. Anglers are using yellow or green twister tails, with white or pink heads. Cast parallel to the bank alongside of snags and dead fall.

NORTHEAST
Volga Lake
Anglers should focus their efforts along the shoreline; that area will warm up quicker. Largemouth Bass – Fair: A jig tipped with a twister has been working for bass.

Lake Hendricks
Fish activity has been slow, but anglers have been giving it a try. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use a jig tipped with a brightly colored twister and a slow retrieve for success. Channel Catfish – Slow: A few catfish are running the shoreline. Anglers using a hook with a dead chub should find some action.

Lake Meyer
Lots of anglers have been out, but fish activity has been slow. Panfish are still out deep. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Anglers using a jig with a twister tail are having the best luck.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water levels have stabilized and are clearing.  Sucker – Excellent: Suckers and redhorse are taking a hook tipped with a worm bounced along the stream bottom. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Anglers are finding success using a jig tipped with either a nightcrawler or plastic twister tail. Rainbow Trout – Fair: Nice sized trout are being caught at the mouths of coldwater streams. Trout are taking spinner and crank baits.

Turkey River (below Clermont)
Water levels have dropped and clarity improved this week. Water temperatures are in the mid 50’s. Sucker – Excellent: The sucker bite is on. Anglers using a hooked drifted along the bottom of the river will catch fish. Walleye – Fair: Walleye are beginning to bite on jigs tipped with a minnow. Rainbow Trout – Fair: Trout can be caught in the river at the Big Spring Hatchery.

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Last week’s rains higher in the watershed caused water levels to rise quite a bit. Water levels have come down and clarity has improved. A few more anglers have been out this week. Walleye – Slow: Anglers are starting to catch walleye using a jig tipped with a minnow. Higher water last week slowed the bite, but conditions have improved. Shovelnose sturgeon – Fair: Smallmouth are beginning to bite. A jig tipped with a twister works well. Channel Catfish – Excellent: Catfish were really active with the river rise. 2 to 3 pound cats were common. Hooks tipped with dead chubs work well.

Decorah District Streams
Flows are up on many streams after last week’s rain, but clearing and very fishable. Scattered hatches of caddisflies, Hendrickson’s, and blue wing olives have been observed. Anglers have been taking trout on #14 caddisflies and #16 or #18 Hendrickson or Adams. One key to a successful catch is to match the size of the fly with the critter hatching. Spin fishers using spinners or hair jigs fished through riffles are taking nice catches. Brook Trout – Good: Brook trout are the only trout species native to Iowa and require cold clean water. Brown Trout – Good: Brown trout spawn from October to November with fry emerging from the streambed in March and April. Rainbow Trout – Good: Scientific name for rainbow trout is Oncorhynchus mykiss. Oncorhynchus is Greek for hooked snout and mykiss is what this species is commonly called Kamchatka, Russia.

Get ready for typical spring weather. Temperatures will be in the 60’s with a chance of rain this weekend. All area stream levels have stabilized and are clearing. For more information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
There have been good reports of smallmouth bass fishing. Walleye fishing has slowed some. Walleye – Fair: A jig tipped with a twister tail and minnow is a deadly combination for walleye this time of year. Concentrate below low-head dams and shallow pool areas below riffles and off current breaks. Channel Catfish – Fair: Some anglers have been taking a few catfish using dead cut baits fished on the bottom. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Artificial baits and lures have been the most productive on smallmouth bass.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
There have been decent reports of both walleye and smallmouth bass being caught. Walleye – Fair: A jig tipped with a twister tail and minnow is a deadly combination for walleye this time of year. Concentrate below low-head dams and shallow pool areas below riffles and off current breaks. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Artificial baits and lures have been the most productive on smallmouth bass.

Wapsi River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
The Wapsi River is currently at 6.21 feet and holding steady. There have been no reports for the Wapsipinicon River this week.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
There have been a few reports of anglers catching walleye. Recent sampling efforts have shown good numbers of walleye and smallmouth bass in the river. Boat ramp access to the Maquoketa River through Bailey’s Ford Park is not currently available; a replacement is scheduled for this coming 2015 season. Walleye – Fair: A jig tipped with a twister tail and minnow is a deadly combination for walleye this time of year. Concentrate below low-head dams and shallow pool areas below riffles and off current breaks. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Artificial baits and lures have been the most productive on smallmouth bass.

Anglers are catching walleye, smallmouth bass and channel catfish on the interior rivers. 2015 trout stream stocking calendars are available online at: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/TroutFishing.aspx. Heritage Pond in Dubuque will be stocked with trout on Saturday, April 18th. For more information, call the Manchester District Office at 563-927-3276.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Mississippi River Pool 9
River level at Lansing is at 8.0 and expected to remain stable this week.  Walleye – Fair: Walleye will be spawning soon so the bite may drop. Yellow Perch – Fair: some nice yellow perch have been reported in the upper end of Pool 9. The bite slowed recently as perch are finishing spawning. Bluegill – Fair: There are still plenty of bluegill in backwater overwintering areas, but they are beginning to move out. As temperatures warm, the bite will pick up. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Largemouth are beginning to move and feed, but the bite will be slow until temperatures warm a bit more. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Look for small mouth to become active as water temperatures warm into the 50s. Channel Catfish – Good: Channel catfish are biting on crawlers in tailwaters of the dams and deeper side channels. Freshwater Drum – Fair: Drum are biting; a good indicator that spring is finally here. This fair-weather favorite can be caught from shore along sandbars and flats with some current.

Mississippi River Pool 10
River level at Lynxville has risen to 17.4 and is expected to remain steady this week. Walleye – Fair: Although a few nice walleye are still being caught in the tailwaters, the bite has slowed at the tail-end of the spawn. Expect the bite to pick up after the spawn. Yellow Perch – Fair: Some nice yellow perch have been reported in the upper end of Pool 10. The bite slowed recently as perch are finishing spawning. Bluegill – Fair: There are still plenty of bluegill in backwater overwintering areas, but they are beginning to move out. As temperatures warm, the bite will pick up. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Largemouth are beginning to move and feed, but the bite will be slow until temperatures warm a bit more. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Look for small mouth to become active as water temperatures warm into the 50s. Sauger – Fair: A few saugers are still being caught in the tailwaters. Sauger will be spawning soon and the bite may slow. Channel Catfish – Good: Channel cat are biting on crawlers in tailwaters of the dams and deeper side channels. Freshwater Drum – Good: Drum are biting; a good indicator that spring is finally here. This fair-weather favorite can be caught from shore along sandbars and flats with some current.

Mississippi River Pool 11
River level at Guttenberg has risen several feet to 9.3 and is expected to rise a few more inches this week and then slowly fall. Walleye – Fair: Although a few nice walleye are still being caught in the tailwaters, the bite has slowed at the tail-end of the spawn. Expect the bite to pick up after the spawn. Yellow Perch – Fair: Some nice yellow perch have been reported in the Mud Lake area, but the bite slowed recently as perch are finishing spawning. Bluegill – Fair: There are still plenty of bluegill in backwater overwintering areas, but they are beginning to move out. As temperatures warm, the bite will pick up. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Largemouth are beginning to move and feed, but the bite will be slow until temperatures warm a bit more. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Look for smallmouth bass to become active as water temperatures warm into the 50s. Sauger – Fair: Sauger are still biting on jigs tipped with minnows in the tailwaters. Channel Catfish – Good: Channel catfish are biting on crawlers in tailwaters of the dams and deeper side channels. Freshwater Drum – Good: Drum are biting; a good indicator that spring is finally here. This fair-weather favorite can be caught from shore along sandbars and flats with some current.

A variety of fish species are biting on the Mississippi River this week. Water temperatures and levels are on the rise, making fish more active and on the move. Main channel water temperatures are in the mid 50’s.

Mississippi River Pool 12
The water level is 8.5 feet at Dubuque Lock and Dam and 10.7 feet at the Dubuque RR bridge. This is up quite a bit from last week. Water temperature in the main channel is 52 degrees and around 62 in the backwaters.  Water is expected to rise slowly. Walleye – Fair: Sauger and walleye fishing has been good, but soon both species will move into spawning areas and generally bite poorly during that time.  Some spawned out walleyes are being reported. Northern Pike – Fair: A couple nice sized northern pike were reported this week.  They are mostly done spawning and are now in the feeding mode. Lots of anglers are targeting pike. Yellow Perch – Good: Some nice yellow perch are showing up in the tailwater and larger side channel areas. Crappie – Good: Some nice sized crappies are being reported.  Many males are being found in shallow water, while some of the females are being reported from various spots including the tailwaters.

Mississippi River Pool 13
The water level is 9.2 feet at Bellevue and predicted to rise slowly. Main channel temperatures are at 54 degrees and backwaters are around 62 degrees. Paddlefish season is now closed.  Sauger – Fair: Anglers are reporting fair to good fishing for sauger mostly on three-way rigs or a jig and minnow.  Sauger and walleye will move toward their spawning locations soon and the bite may slow. Walleye – Fair: Some nicer walleye are being taken on jigs and minnows.  Anglers are targeting 18 to 24 feet of water. Northern Pike – Fair: Some northern pike have been reported. Pike, unlike walleye, bite immediately after they are done spawning. Crappie – Good: Crappie are on the move from their overwintering sites and moving toward their spawning areas. Yellow Perch – Good.

Mississippi River Pool 14
The water level is 8.4 feet at Fulton, 11.6 feet at Camanche, and 6.6 feet above the dam at LeClaire. Main channel water temperature is around 53 degrees with backwaters being closer to 64 degrees. Levels are generally rising in all locations. Paddlefish season is now closed.  Sauger – Fair: Sauger are being reported by anglers using a jig and minnow or three-way rig. Walleye – Fair: Big female walleyes will begin moving to the spawning areas very shortly.  Males have been running for several weeks, but females are just now beginning the spawning process. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Some bass are showing up in the creel. Angling for smallmouth and largemouth is only expected to get better. Black Crappie – Good: Some nice sized crappies are being reported.  Many males are being found in shallow water, while some of the females are being reported from various spots including the tailwaters.

Mississippi River Pool 15
The water level at Rock Island is at 6.4 feet and rising.  No fishing was reported to us on Pool 15 this week.  Northern pike and yellow perch are mostly spawned out; walleye and sauger are still spawning, but are near the end of the run in the Mississippi River. Paddlefish snagging is now closed.

Mississippi River Pool 16
Tail water stage at L&D 15 is 8.8 reflecting the general rise in the river from precipitation up north. Current water temperature is 55 degrees. Bluegill – Excellent: Excellent numbers of bluegill are being caught in Sunset Marina. Crappie – Excellent: Crappie are on the bite in Sunset Marina. Minnow and float seem to be working, but watch out for the dogfish that have moved in and are biting off a lot of rigs. Sauger – Good: Sauger are biting on the Davenport riverfront by the casino. Jigs and minnow or jig and twister tail are the bait of choice. Sauger – Good: Sauger are biting on the Davenport riverfront by the casino. Jigs and minnow or jig and twister tail are the bait of choice. White Bass – Good: White bass are biting up Sylvan Slough. Use the old standard jig and a tail.

Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage at L&D 16 is 7.28 and temperature is 56 degrees. Crappie – Good: Crappie are being caught in Cleveland Slough and Big Timber. Minnow under a float or jig and minnow seem to be the ticket. Walleye – Slow: Walleye and sauger fishing seems to be slow. Try around the outfalls near GPC with a jig and minnow.

Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage at L&D 17 is 9.26 following a more than half a foot climb in the past 24 hours. Water temperature is 56 degrees. Crappie – Fair: Some crappie are being caught at the pumping station when they are not pumping water. Walleye – Slow: Walleye fishing has been very slow.

Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage at L&D 18 is 5.64 and water temperature is 55 degrees. We have received no fishing reports from this pool, but crappie and bluegill should be starting to bite in the back water areas

The River in this section is slowly rising due to the rain up river. Hopefully this will help improve fishing. River temperatures continue on the rise which should generate more activity.

SOUTHEAST
Lake Geode
Water temperature is around 56 degrees. The water is very clear with a little blue-green algae starting to show up. Largemouth Bass – Fair: With this week’s weather, the bass seem to be spending most of their time just off the ledges in the deeper water. Work some slow moving crankbaits along the ledges and you should pick up fish.

Lake Belva Deer
The water temperature is in the upper 40’s to low 50’s depending on the day. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Work the deeper water this week for the bass, just haven’t seen much sun this week to warm up the shallow water.

Lake Darling
Water temperature was 56 degrees on Tuesday. Water clarity is fairly good, 42″, but there is a slight tint to the water from the runoff from the hard rains late last week. No fishing activity yet.

Big Hollow Lake
Lots of boats out, a dozen or more out every day, but there doesn’t seem to be much caught yet. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Look for bass to be in some of the bays on the Northside just where the first drop-off to deeper water is. They are waiting for the sun to warm up the shallow water which will draw in the smaller fish for them to feed on.

Deep Lakes
The Muscatine County Conservation Board has a very nice contour map of Lake Chester, the bigger one with the boat ramp, on their website. Bluegill – Good: Fish the bays that are catching the most sunshine and use wax worms fished at a depth of 2 to 3 feet down. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Anglers are picking up some nice bass. Work soft plastics or crankbaits slowly through the shallow bays where the bass will be hunting the small fish drawn in by the warmer water.

For more information on the above lakes, call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.

Lake Macbride
A few anglers have been out fishing, but few reports are available. The main lake water temperature is in the mid 50’s. All boat docks are in. Crappie – Slow. Walleye – Slow.

Pleasant Creek Lake
There have not been many reports from here. Muskellunge – Slow: Muskellunge must be 40″ to keep. Walleye – Fair: Smaller males are still shallow as the spawn concludes. Larger female fish have pulled off to slightly deeper water after spawning.

Diamond Lake
Remember, no minnows are allowed here. Crappie – Fair: Some days are better than others. Fish the brush around the jetties with a small jig. Most fish are about 9″. Bluegill – Fair: Use small jigs or worms. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Some nice fish are moving shallower now.

Coralville Reservoir
The lake is at normal spring pool of 679.4′ and the water is very turbid. The boat dock in Lake Macbride State Park is in, but status of the ACOE docks is unknown. Channel Catfish – Slow. Crappie – Slow.

Sand Lake
This quarry is located in Marshalltown. There will be a trout release here on April 18. Rainbow Trout – Good. Brook Trout – Good.

Iowa River (Coralville Lake to River Junction)
Outflow from Coralville Reservoir is currently 2000 cubic feet per second. Walleye – Fair. Northern Pike – Slow.

Cedar River (La Porte City to Cedar Rapids)
Most anglers are targeting areas below the dams. Walleye – Fair. Northern Pike – Fair.

Wapsi River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)
Anglers are mostly fishing below the dams. Walleye – Fair. Northern Pike – Fair. Bluegill – Slow. Crappie – Slow.

All water bodies are free of ice. There has been little activity on the lakes to this point. For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Lake Wapello
Bass anglers have been catching some bass near the cedar tree piles. Look for areas where the trees are sticking out of the water. Try cut bait for channel catfish off the jetties.

Red Haw Lake
Anglers have started to catch a few bluegills along the shorelines using a chunk of nightcrawler on a small jig. Try areas around the fishing jetties and along the face of the dam for largemouth bass.

Lake Miami
Lake Miami is currently undergoing lake renovation. The lake is 6 feet below normal and the boat ramps are difficult to use. New jetties and cedar tree piles have been installed.

Lake Sugema
Lake Sugema has a 12-18 inch protected slot length limit for largemouth bass. Anglers are encouraged to harvest largemouth bass less than 12″ in length to improve overall largemouth bass growth. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Try areas along the rock jetties and shorelines with rip rap. Use crankbaits or spinnerbaits.

East Greater Ottumwa Central Park Pond
Trout were stocked on March 28th. Anglers are reminded to have a valid 2015 fishing license (age 16 and older) and a trout stamp. Try small spinners or prepared baits that resemble trout eggs.

Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 904.36. The water temperature is 51 degrees. Lake Rathbun contains zebra mussels so make sure to properly drain, clean, and dry boats before transporting to another water body. Spray boats and trailers with high pressure hot water (above 104 degrees) or let them dry for at least 10 days (5 days in the sun).  Channel Catfish – Fair: Find areas where the wind is blowing into the shoreline and use cut bait in these areas.

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.

SOUTHWEST
Big Creek Lake
Walleye – Good: Walleye are being caught in good numbers with a few fish over 15 inches in the evenings vertical jigging, trolling minnow rigs, and using minnows under a lighted bobber in depths of 15 feet and less in the East ramp bay, between the beach and the marina, around the 100th street jetty and along the dam.
Lake Ahquabi
Crappie – Fair: Pre-spawn crappies can be caught fishing minnows near rock on the shoreline and jetties.

Red Rock Reservoir
Crappie – Fair: Now is a good time to catch pre-spawn crappie staging in areas with rock. Areas to try are around the Elk Rock boat ramp, the Hwy 14 Teter Creek bridge, rock cliffs in the Whitebreast arm and the back portion of the marina.

Banner Lake (south)
Rainbow Trout – Good: Rainbow trout were stocked on April 11th. Cast small inline spinners, small jigs, or artificial trout baits under a bobber.

Des Moines River (Saylorville to Red Rock)
White Bass – Good: White bass and wipers are being caught in decent numbers below the Scott St. dam at the Red Rock spillway.

Water temperatures in central Iowa are in the low to mid 50s. Pre-spawn crappies are starting to bite near shallow rock and wood structure that warms quickly. For information on central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823.

Greenfield Lake
Fish surveys indicate a large crappie population in Greenfield. Fish will average 9 inches. Greenfield has good catfish numbers which makes it a good choice for early spring catfishing. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills up to 8 inches are being caught just off shore with small jigs. Crappie – Fair: Crappies averaging nine inches are being caught casting twister tails from the jetties. Largemouth Bass – No Report. Channel Catfish – Slow: Anglers are beginning to catch channel cats around the jetties with shad sides.

Meadow Lake
Meadow Lake has quality size panfish. Bluegill – No Report. Crappie – Fair: Meadow has large white crappies that can be caught around the two underwater reefs in the lake.

Nodaway Lake
Anglers can expect to catch 8 inch bluegills and 9 inch crappie this spring. Bluegill – No Report. Crappie – Slow: A few crappies are being caught along the dam casting minnows under a bobber.

Littlefield Lake
Littlefield has a good panfish population. The lake is also a good choice for early spring catfishing. Bluegill – No Report. Black Crappie – No Report. Channel Catfish – No Report.

Lake Anita
Crappies have moved into the pontoon arm of the lake. Cast small jigs two feet under a bobber to catch panfish. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappies are being caught in the pontoon arm of the lake casting small jigs. Warm sunny days are best. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers have reported catching quality size bluegills with wax worms. Largemouth Bass – No Report.

Viking Lake
Viking has a good largemouth bass population. Crappies are close to shore. Largemouth Bass – Good: Largemouth of all sizes are being caught casting small spinnerbaits with a slow retrieve around the shoreline and jetties. Crappie – Fair: Sorting is necessary, but anglers are having success in the campground arm and behind the pontoon area.

Lake Manawa
The walleye bite has been good on the south and west shorelines. Crappies are being caught in the canals. Crappie – Fair: Anglers are catching crappie in the canals casting minnows or jigs. Sorting is necessary for larger fish. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Good: Wipers up to 5 pounds can be caught with red worms. Walleye – Fair: Walleye can be caught on the south and west side of the lake trolling crankbaits.

Farm Creek Lake
Farm Creek will provide good fishing this spring for all fish species. Bluegill – No Report. Black Crappie – No Report. Largemouth Bass – No Report.

Cold Springs District Farm Ponds
Farm ponds typically warm sooner than larger bodies of water making them a good choice for early spring fishing. Always get permission to fish privately owned ponds. Crappie – Good: Anglers can find crappies in the corners of the dam or upper ends of ponds where water warms first. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills are reported to be biting on wax worms under a bobber. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass are being caught casting small spinners with a slow retrieve.
Largemouth fishing has been good this past week. Anglers are targeting panfish in shallow bays that warm sooner than deeper parts of a lake. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at (712) 769-2587

Binder Lake
Channel Catfish – Good: Channel catfish ranging 5-8 lbs. have been caught using liver fished along the silt dam.

Q Pond City Park
Crappie – Good: Crappies up to 9 inches have been caught using jigs fished along the dam.

West Lake (Osceola)
The marina will be closed beginning Monday, April 13, 2015 for improvements. Crappie – Excellent: Crappies up to 9 inches have been caught on jigs and minnows fished along the dam or near the casino.

Little River Watershed Lake
Walleye – Fair: Walleye up to 17 inches have been caught using crankbaits or minnows fished near the dam outlet. Crappie – Good: Crappies up to 10 inches have been caught using jigs fished along the fishing jetties.

Green Valley Lake
Largemouth Bass – Slow: Largemouth bass up to 18 inches have been caught on crankbaits fished near the silt dam and fishing jetties.

Three Mile Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Channel catfish up to 17 inches have been caught using liver fished along shoreline areas. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Fair: Wipers up to 17 inches have been caught using liver fished along shoreline areas. Crappie – Fair: Crappies up to 9.5 inches have been caught using jigs or minnows fished near rocky shoreline areas.

Twelve Mile Creek Lake
Largemouth Bass – Slow: Largemouth bass up to 18 inches have been caught using jigs fished near brush piles.

Criss Cove County Park Pond
1,300 trout were stocked by Madison County Conservation Board on April 11th. State fishing regulations including trout fee apply.

Water temperature in most Mount Ayr District lakes is approximately 55 degrees. The district includes Page, Taylor, Adams, Union, Ringgold, Decatur, Clarke and Madison counties. For more information, call: 641-464-3108.