NORTHWEST
Bacon Creek Lake
Approximately 1,500 rainbow trout will be stocked on January 16, 2016.

Black Hawk Lake
As of Thursday, the Ice House Point boat ramp area contained 3-5 inches of good ice under 1 inch of poor ice. Thicknesses are inconsistent; use caution if venturing out and test ice depths frequently. Fishing reports will be added as more anglers go out.

Arrowhead Lake
Ice thicknesses near the boat ramp on Thursday were 2-4 inches of good ice under 1 inch of poor ice. Ice fishing is not recommended on Arrowhead Lake; ice conditions will likely improve after the cold temperatures predicted this weekend.

Black Hawk Pits
As of Thursday, Black Hawk Pits have around 3-5 inches of good ice under 1 inch of poor ice. Thicknesses are inconsistent; use caution and test ice depths frequently. Several anglers are venturing out near the boat ramp and having luck catching bluegills.

Moorland Pond
Approximately 1,500 rainbow trout will be stocked on January 23, 2016.
Some anglers are venturing out on water bodies in western Iowa. Ice conditions are marginal; thicknesses range from open spots to 5 inches. Cold temperatures over the weekend should improve ice conditions. Ice thicknesses are very inconsistent so use extreme caution and check ice depths frequently.  More fishing reports will be added as we receive them. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District Office at 712-657-2638.

Beeds Lake
Lake froze over on Dec. 30th.

Upper Pine Lake
Upper and Lower Pine were not iced over as of Jan. 5th.

Lake Smith
Lake Smith had 5 inches of ice on Jan 5. The bite is fair for bluegills and crappies.

Clear Lake
Clear Lake had about 5 inches of ice on the little lake on January 2. The aerators have been turned on; signs at accesses show the locations. Use caution and check ice depth often when crossing the ice. Yellow Bass – Excellent: Angling activity has been high this past weekend and many are taking a full bucket home. Move often if not catching fish; fish 8-12 feet of water and move till finding schools. Walleye – Fair: No reports of any keepers yet; try Farmers beach or the Baptist Camp area for some active walleye. Early ice is the better time of the year to try for walleye. Crappie – Good: Crappie have been caught mixed in with some of the yellow bass catches in 8-12 feet of water but the better locations are in the deeper 15-24 feet holes early morning or evening (3-8 p.m.)

Lake Cornelia
Ice varies from 3-5 inches. Mostly small perch and 4-6 inch yellow bass are being caught. Not a lot of fishing activity at this time.

Little Wall Lake
Little Wall Lake has 6 inches of ice just off the North Ramp.

Bluebill Lake
Bluebill Lake has 3-6 inches of ice. Some reports of a few perch, bass, and bluegill.

Fin and Feather Lake
Fin and Feather Lake has 8 inches of ice.

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
Ice conditions: 6-7 inches of ice covered with snow and slush. Ice conditions varied. Use caution while on the ice. Yellow Perch – Slow: A few perch have been caught in front of the pump house.

Center Lake
Ice conditions: 4-6 inches of ice covered with snow and slush. The aeration system is in use. Use caution while on the ice. Fishing activity has been minimal.

East Okoboji Lake
Ice condition: 7 inches of ice covered with snow and slush. Use caution while on the ice. Yellow Perch – Slow: A few perch on the south end of the lake. Yellow Bass – Slow: Some yellows are being caught north of the narrows

Minnewashta Lake
Ice conditions: 6-7 inches of ice covered with snow and slush. Use caution while on the ice.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Ice conditions: 4-5 inches of good ice with 2 inches of slush. Ice thickness varied. Use extreme caution during ice activities. The aeration system is in use. Yellow Perch – Slow: Anglers are picking up a few perch on the north end of the lake.

West Okoboji Lake
Ice conditions: The lake is completely ice covered. Reports of 3-5 inches of ice covered with snow and slush in Emerson, Millers, Smiths and the North bays. Use caution while on the ice. Bluegill – Slow: A few bluegills are being caught in the bays.

Ingham Lake
Ice conditions: 5-6 inches of ice covered with snow and slush. The aeration system is in use. Use caution while on the ice. Fishing activity has been minimal.

Five Island Lake
Ice conditions: 5-6 inches of ice covered with snow and slush. A portion of the lake has just become ice covered where the geese kept the lake open. Use caution while on the ice. Fishing activity has been minimal.

Upper Gar Lake
Ice conditions: 5-7 inches of ice covered with snow and slush. Use caution while on the ice. Bluegill – Slow: A few nice bluegills are being caught on the north end of the lake. Yellow Perch – Slow: Some nice perch have been picked up while bluegill fishing.

Silver Lake (Palo Alto)
Ice Conditions: 5-6 inches of ice covered with snow and slush. Use caution while on the ice. Fishing activity has been minimal.

Scharnberg Pond
The Scharnberg Pond trout stocking and family event scheduled on the Jan. 9th has been postponed till Jan. 30th due to unsafe ice conditions.

NORTHEAST
Volga Lake
Volga Lake has patchy ice cover. Use extreme caution when going out on this ice. Few ice anglers have been out to test the ice. Much colder weather is forecast for the next several days so this should help ice formation.

Lake Hendricks
Lake Hendricks has about 4-5 inches of ice under about 2 inches of snow. Water is very cloudy. Use care when going out on new ice. Quite a few anglers have been out but catches vary among anglers. A reminder to ice anglers, Howard County Conservation Board does not allow permanent shacks or motorized vehicles on the ice. Bluegill – Fair: Much of angling has been off the pine tree point in about 10 feet of water. Anglers are using small jigs tipped with wax worms.

Lake Meyer
Lake Meyer has 3.5 to 5 inches of ice with very little snow on top. Use caution when going out on newly formed ice. Crappie – Slow: Anglers may have to drill a few holes to find fish this year especially with all the new habitat.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week. Walleye – Slow: Try fishing at or near dusk. Use a jig tipped with a twister tail bounced on the bottom or crankbaits fished with a slow return in deeper pools.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Turkey River (above Clermont)
Vernon Spring impoundment near Cresco has ice under about 5 inches of snow. Use extreme caution when going across areas of flowing water under ice. Check depths often.  Rock Bass – Fair: Rock bass have been biting on small jigs tipped with wax worms. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Bass will hit a hook tipped with a minnow or wax worm.

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Many of the backwater areas have spotty ice under snow. Ice flows have been observed on the main river. Use extreme caution when going on ice especially with increased flows and falling water levels.

Decorah District Streams
Trout streams are in excellent condition. Look for sporadic midge hatches on warmer days. For these hatches, use #18 or 20 emergers or nymphs with a #22 or #24 drop hook gnarly midge. Use more streamers or scuds as prey availability has changed and fish are looking for something meatier. Anglers using minnows and dark flashy hair jigs will catch fish. Brook Trout – Good: According to a report regarding stocking submitted by E.D. Carlton, Fish Commissioner of Iowa, to the State Fish Commission in 1888, Bremer and Howard Counties received 5,000 brook trout and Winneshiek County received 20,000. Brown Trout – Good: With this high, off color water, use larger jigs or streamers that imitate minnows or small trout. Rainbow Trout – Good: Larger rainbows will start to move upstream in preparation for spawning. Use baits imitating minnows and small trout.

With winter finally here, open water river fishing will quickly end. Many hunting seasons close Sunday, January 10. Resident 2015 fishing licenses and trout privileges expire Sunday, January 10. Don’t forget to buy your 2016 licenses before you go out. For more information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

Silver Lake (Delaware)
Anglers have been ice fishing on Silver Lake in Delaware County. Ice thickness is being reported around 4 inches. We have received reports of some bluegill and crappie being caught with an occasional northern pike. Crappie – Fair: Look for crappie being suspended fishing a jig tipped with a wax worm. Bluegill – Fair: Fish a small jig tipped with a wax worm off of the bottom. Northern Pike – Fair: Fishing tip-ups under the ice with a live chub or shiner works well for active pike.

Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Ice thickness has been reported as 2-3 inches but ice fishing is not recommended at this time.

George Wyth Lake
Reports are 3-4 inches of ice but ice fishing is not recommended at this time.

Martens Lake
There have been reports of anglers fishing Martens Lake but on-foot access from the northwest across the reservoir is not recommended at this time.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Walleye fishing has been good on the Cedar River in Bremer County when boat ramps are accessible due to lack of ice. Walleye – Good: Look for deeper overwintering holes, bounce a jig tipped with a minnow for aggressive fish in these areas.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
Walleye fishing has been good on the Shell Rock River in Bremer County when boat ramps are accessible due to lack of ice. Walleye – Good: Look for deeper overwintering holes, bounce a jig tipped with a minnow for aggressive fish in these areas.

Lakes are beginning to ice over and are unsafe at this time, there are no reports for this week but will be added as good ice conditions allow. There have been good reports of walleye fishing on the Cedar and Shell Rock rivers when boat ramps have been accessible or free of ice. Trout streams are in excellent condition for the upcoming weekend, for further information contact the N.E. District Office at 563-927-3276.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Mississippi River Pool 9
Mississippi River level at Lansing has fallen to 8.3 feet and is expected to hold near this level over the next week. Although ice has formed on the backwaters it is only 2-3 inches thick and with the current forecast for rain we cannot recommend ice fishing at this time.

Mississippi River Pool 10
Mississippi River level at Lynxville has fallen several feet to 15.2 feet and is expected to hold near this level over the next week.  Although ice has formed on the backwaters it is only 2-3 inches thick and with the current forecast for rain we cannot recommend ice fishing at this time. Walleye – Slow: Tailwater fishing has slowed due to lots of floating ice coming through the lock and dam. Sauger – Slow: Tailwater fishing has slowed due to lots of floating ice coming through the lock and dam.

Mississippi River Pool 11
Mississippi River level at Guttenberg has fallen several feet to 7.3 feet and is expected to hold near that level over the next week. Although ice has formed on the backwaters it is only 2-3 inches thick and with the current forecast for rain we cannot recommend ice fishing at this time. Walleye – Slow: Tailwater fishing has slowed due to lots of floating ice coming through the lock and dam. Sauger – Slow: Tailwater fishing has slowed due to lots of floating ice coming through the lock and dam.

Upper Mississippi River levels have fallen and are beginning to stabilize. Although ice has formed on the backwaters it is only 2-3 inches thick and with the current forecast for rain we cannot recommend ice fishing at this time.

Mississippi River Pool 12
Water temperature in Pool 12 is near 33 degrees.  Generally the water is high but receding.  Water level was reported at 7.1 feet at Lock and Dam 11 and 9.8 feet at the railroad bridge. These levels are down at least two feet from last week.  Expect the river to continue to drop slowly.  Some ice angling took place but conditions are marginal.  Ice flows kept a lot of anglers out of the tailwaters.

Mississippi River Pool 13
Water temperature in Pool 13 is around 34 degrees in the main channel. Water is dropping slowly and is very clear. The main channel experienced ice flows off and on all week.  Water level was reported at 9.8 feet at Bellevue down over 2 feet from last week. Sauger – Good: Some nice sauger were reported on three way rigs even during the high water. Ice flows hampered fishing at times. Yellow Perch – Good: Yellow perch have been a consistent biter in the shallow waters in the tailwater areas.

Mississippi River Pool 14
Water temperature in Pool 14 is around 34 degrees in the main channel. Very little good ice was reported in the backwaters for ice fishing. Water levels are at 6.5 feet at Fulton, 10.4 feet at Camanche and 5.3 feet above the dam at LeClaire. These are down at least three feet from last week. Expect water levels to continue to recede slowly.

Mississippi River Pool 15
Water temperature in Pool 15 is around 35 degrees in the main channel. Water level was reported at 7.9 feet at Rock Island down three feet or so from last week. Water level will fluctuate slightly this week.  No fishing was reported in these conditions.

Undoubtedly some ice fishing took place this week. Water temperatures are around 34 in the main channel throughout the district. Expect the river water level to drop slightly throughout the week.

Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities is 7.64 feet and falling. Flood stage is 15 feet. We have not received any fishing information for this pool this week. The Marquette St. ramp is being reported as open. The main channel in pool 16 is still open but has some flow ice coming down. Sauger – No Report: We have not received any fishing information for saugers below Lock and Dam 15 this week.

Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine is 6.57 feet and falling. We have not received any fishing information for this pool this week.

Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston is 8.76 feet and falling. Flood stage is 15 feet. We have not received any fishing information for this pool this week.

Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage at Lock and Dam 18 upstream of Burlington is 6.03 feet and falling. Flood stage is 10 feet. We have not received any fishing information for this pool this week.

Mississippi River Pools 16-19: River stages have been falling steadily over the past few days. We have not received much for fishing reports this past week. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.

SOUTHEAST
Lake Belva Deer
The lake finally skimmed over on Monday. There was less than an inch of ice on Tuesday.

Lake Darling
The West wind over the weekend didn’t affect the ice formation on Darling as much as other area lakes. The lake was frozen over by Monday morning for the most part. By Tuesday afternoon there was 1.5 inches of ice.

Environmental Discovery Park North Pond
The North pond had about an inch of ice on it on Tuesday; not thick enough to be safe to walk on.

Lost Grove Lake
The lake was nearly completely open on Monday with just a little fringe ice out in the trees.

For more information conditions on the above lakes and rivers, call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at (319) 694-2430.

Hannen Lake
There is ice, but it is unsafe.

Rodgers Park Lake
There is ice, but it is unsafe.

Iowa Lake
Some areas of the lake have 3-4 inches of ice while others have less. The ice should not be considered safe, but a couple anglers have tried it this week.

Lake Macbride
The lake finally completely capped over on 1/5, but 95% of the ice is unsafe. There have been a couple ice fishermen east of the causeway but the ice should not be considered safe.

Central Park Lake
2.5 inches of ice was reported on Jan. 6, although that may not be uniform across the whole lake.

Pleasant Creek Lake
The lake is currently about 12′ low for the upcoming restoration project. There were a couple people fishing on the ice along the dam, but other areas still had open water. The ice should not be considered safe.

Diamond Lake
Up to 3 inches of ice was reported this week. Ice should not be considered safe.

Otter Creek Lake
“Ice anglers are warned that very early ice conditions exist at Otter Creek Lake in central Tama County. Venturing out onto the ice is a risky endeavor. Open water was present just one week ago so ice could be very thin in certain areas” said the Tama County Director.

Union Grove Lake
The lake is currently drained for the renovation project that will start this winter.

Coralville Reservoir
The lake level on 1/7 is 695′ (normal is 683′) and is slowly falling. Outflow from the dam is 10,000 CFS. Much of the lake is ice covered but it is not safe due to strong flows and dropping water levels.

Ice has formed on most of the lakes but most ice is unsafe. Use extreme caution if venturing out. For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Lake Wapello
The lake still has areas of open water. Ice thickness varies across the lake and is not thick enough to support anglers.

Red Haw Lake
The lake is covered with ice but the ice is not thick enough to support anglers. The ice thickness varies across the lake.

Lake Keomah
Lake Keomah State Park is undergoing a road construction project so access to the park is limited. The boat ramps are still accessible by using the entrance to the north and east of the park. The ice thickness is not enough to support anglers and varies across the lake.

Lake Sugema
Lake Sugema still has areas of open water. Ice thickness is not enough to support anglers and the thickness varies across the lake.

Bob White Lake
A complete fisheries renovation was completed in September. Fingerlings were stocked this fall.

Rathbun Reservoir
The lake is still mostly open water. There is some cove ice but it is not thick enough to support anglers. The current lake level is 911.57. Lake Rathbun contains zebra mussels so make sure to properly drain, clean, and dry equipment before transporting to another water body.

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
No ice fishing activity has been reported on Big Creek. This should change for next week’s report.

Hickory Grove Lake
Bluegill – Slow: A few anglers have begun testing the ice accessing from the SE boat ramp and have found varying thickness from 2 to 4 inches. Conditions may deteriorate if any rain occurs, but should improve by the end of the weekend. Catches of bluegills were slow mostly because anglers are not venturing all over the lake yet to locate better bites.

Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake
Rainbow Trout – No Report: The north pit has just formed thin ice over the last week; ice fishing is not recommended until colder temperatures build more ice.

Ice conditions in Central Iowa are marginal for ice fishing, but anglers are starting to get out and fish smaller waters. Thicknesses range from open spots to 4 inches. With the cold temperatures coming over the weekend conditions should improve greatly. Use caution and check ice thickness frequently. More fishing reports will be added as more anglers start getting out. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823.

Greenfield Lake
Greenfield will be a good destination this winter for ice fishing. The lake has a good panfish population.

Mormon Trail Lake
Mormon Trail has a large year class of 8 to 9 inch crappies.

Lake Anita
Anita will provide good bluegill fishing this winter with fish up to 10 inches. The crappie population has fewer 9 to 10 inch fish but a large year class of 7 to 8 inch fish.

Viking Lake
Fish surveys indicate a good crappie population ranging from 8 to 11 inches.

Prairie Rose Lake
Try Prairie Rose Lake this winter for 7 to 9 inch bluegill.

Farm Creek Lake
Farm Creek has quality size panfish and will provide good ice fishing this winter.

Lakes in the southwest district averaged 3 inches of ice on January 5th. Since that time warm weather and rain have deteriorated the ice. Ice fishing is not recommended. Fishing reports will continue when ice is safe. A trout stocking is planned for Big Lake on January 22 pending safe ice. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587

Missouri River (Sioux City to Little Sioux)
Sauger – Slow: Fishing has been fair to slow for sauger and walleye on the Missouri. Use jigs tipped with minnows.

Missouri River (Little Sioux to Council Bluffs)
Sauger – Slow: Fishing has been fair to slow for sauger and walleye on the Missouri. Use jigs tipped with minnows.

Missouri River (Council Bluffs to Missouri State Line)
Sauger – Slow: Fishing has been fair to slow for sauger and walleye on the Missouri. Use jigs tipped with minnows.

The Missouri River at Decatur, Nebraska is at 17.89 ft. /21,300 cfs./ 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The Missouri is up .41 feet from last week. There are ice chunks flowing on much of the Missouri River. Cold weather may ice in some boat ramps. River levels are managed at lower levels during the winter period, boat ramps may not be accessible. Few anglers are out; fishing has been slow this week on the Missouri River.