NORTHWEST
Arrowhead Lake
On Thursday, Jan. 26th, ice thickness was 9 inches. There is about 4 inches of snow with some slush on top of the ice. Conditions are more variable next to shore and near inflows. Bluegill – Good: Use a wax worm on a small jig fished near structure. Fish are up to 8-9 inches. Some sorting is required. Black Crappie – Fair: Try a jig tipped with a wax worm fished in about 15-20 feet of water. Fish up to 10.5 inches have been caught.
Bacon Creek Lake
Approximately 1,500 rainbow trout will be stocked on February 4th at 1:30 p.m. Come and experience some great fishing at this event. Catch trout using a variety of methods including: live minnow fished under a bobber, small tube and twister jigs, in-line spinners, and casting spoons – anything shiny to grab the trout’s attention.
Black Hawk Lake
On Thursday, Jan. 26th, ice thickness off Ice House Point boat ramp was 13 inches. Ice may be more variable next to shore. Ice is covered by about 4 inches of snow and an inch of slush. There is an area of open water in the middle of the east basin. The winter aeration system is in operation so expect thin ice and open water in Town Bay. Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are catching some bluegill up to 8 inches, mostly around the Gunshot Hill and Ice House Point areas with a small jig tipped with a wax worm. Anglers are marking lots of fish. Walleye – Fair: Try around Ice House Point and out from Gunshot Hill. Use a minnow head on a jigging spoon during low light hours. Try also the dredge cuts by Denison Beach and Lakewood Point areas.
Black Hawk Pits
On Thursday, Jan. 26th, there was 6 inches of good ice covered by about 3 inches of snow and slush. Ice is variable, especially along shore so use caution if going out.
Brushy Creek Lake
Ice is variable on Brushy Creek Lake, especially near shore and areas of inflows. Expect some open areas near flooded timber and near shore. Use extreme caution and test ice thickness often when venturing out. Bluegill – Fair: Use a small jig tipped with a wax worm. Black Crappie – Fair: Try wax worms and minnows fished on a small jig.
Moorland Pond
Approximately 1,500 rainbow trout were stocked on Jan. 20th. Fishing was excellent during the stocking event. Fishing remains good for days and even weeks after the event. Use live minnows fished under a bobber. Try also small tube and twister jigs, in-line spinners and casting spoons.
Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Ice thickness is around 14-15 inches. Yellow Perch – Fair: Use wax worms and minnows fished on a jig in 5-8 feet of water. White Bass – Fair: Try fishing minnow heads on a jigging spoon. Walleye – Fair: Use minnow heads or whole minnows on jigging spoons, jigging raps, and rattle spoons. Fish during low light hours. Try in areas 5-10 feet deep. If no luck at that depth, try in the lower light conditions of the dredge cuts. Black Crappie – Fair: Fish are suspended; use a jig tipped with a wax worm or a minnow. Low light hours have been more productive.
As of Jan. 26th, ice conditions are variable due to recent warmer temperatures and rain. There are thin spots near shore in some areas and several inches of slush on top of the ice. Most lakes in the district still have 5 to 14 inches of ice under the snow and slush. Use caution and test ice depths often. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Blue Pit
Rainbow Trout – Good: Use small jigs tipped with bait or small jigging spoons. You may have to try several locations, but the action is fast once the fish are found.
Bluebill Lake
Ice thickness is 16-18 inches. Bluegill – Fair: Use wax worms. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try minnows fished in 12-16 feet of water.
Clear Lake
Ice thickness is 18-20 inches on most of the little lake and 17-19 inches on the main lake. There is 11 to 12 inches of snow on most of the lake which can make travel difficult. The best bite is early morning and around 4:00 p.m. to dark. Catch bluegills and crappies near the rushes by the west aeration system. Yellows are still biting in 8 to 10 feet of water; you have to move to stay on fish. Yellow Bass – Good: Use wax worms and spikes fished near the bottom in 8-10 feet of water. Try near the Farmers Beach area. Walleye – Fair: Try jigs tipped with minnows or jigging rap. Most are less than 14 inches, but a few keepers are being caught. Black Crappie – Fair: The best crappie bite is at first light. Yellow Perch – Fair.
Crystal Lake
Ice thickness is 16 to 18 inches. Catch bluegills and crappies near the dredge cut. Bluegill – Good: Catch 6.5 to 7.5 inch bluegills on small jigs tipped with wax worm or spikes. Black Crappie – Good: Catch 8 to 9.5 inch crappies with small jigging spoons.
Elm Lake
Ice thickness is 16 inches. Yellow Perch – Good: Perch are biting; lots of smaller fish being caught with a few keepers.
Lake Smith
Ice thickness is 16 inches. Bluegill – Good: Use wax worms.
Rice Lake
Ice thickness is 18-20 inches. With the clear water, the best bite is the last hour of light. Walleye – Fair: Use jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head. Yellow Perch – Fair: Try small jigs tipped with live bait.
Silver Lake (Worth)
Ice thickness is 18-20 inches. Bluegill – Fair: Use small jigs tipped with spikes. Yellow Perch – Fair: Try small jigging spoons and jigs tipped with bait.
For information in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
Center Lake
Aerators are currently in use on Center Lake so avoid areas with open water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas.
East Okoboji Lake
Reports of good walleye and yellow bass activity on the south side of the lake near Parks Marina. Anglers are reeling in panfish on the very north end of the lake. Walleye – Fair: Try to get on the edge of the weed lines in about 10-12 feet of water. Yellow Bass – Good: Yellow bass are being caught on the south basin of the lake. Yellow Perch – Good: A lot of small perch have been getting caught on the north end of the lake.
Five Island Lake
Aerators are currently in use on Five Island Lake so avoid areas with open water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas. The fishing has been good near the north boat ramp. Black Crappie – Fair: A few black crappies have been reported, but they are not eager to bite. Channel Catfish – Good: Reports of channel catfish being caught. Yellow Bass – Good Catch lots of yellow bass on Five Island Lake.
Ingham Lake
Aerators are currently in use on Ingham Lake so avoid areas with open water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas.
Lost Island Lake
Yellow Bass – Good: Catch a good number of yellow bass in the Stony Point area on Lost Island Lake. Bluegill – Fair: Reports of a few bluegill being caught. Black Crappie – Fair Reports of a few crappie being caught.
Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Aerators are currently in use on Silver Lake so avoid areas with open water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas.
Silver Lake (Palo Alto)
The fish have been very active on Silver Lake. Yellow Perch – Good: Catch lots of 12 inch perch. Black Crappie – Good: Catch lots of large crappies all over the lake.
Spirit Lake
The ice on Big Spirit is sturdy with people driving on at most locations. The most fish are being reported up north off of Mini-Wakan and off the east side just north of Sunset Park. Yellow Perch – Slow: Perch are hard to find right now; you may need to move around. Walleye – Fair: Dusk is the best time to find walleye. Try on the north end and on the rock beds on the east side of the lake.
West Okoboji Lake
Perch, crappies and bluegill fishing continues to be good on West Okoboji. The fish are hanging out in about 12-15 feet of water right outside of the weed beds. Bluegill – Excellent: Bluegill continue to show a lot of activity in Little Millers Bay. Yellow Perch – Excellent: Perch are active in about 12 feet of water. They are hanging tight to the weed edges. Black Crappie – Excellent: Crappies have shown good activity in Little Millers Bay.
The fishing on the Iowa Great Lakes has been good over the past week. Use caution when going out as the large snow fall has created a lot of slush on top of the ice making it very easy to get stuck when driving on. The snow adds a lot of weight to the ice making weaker areas more abundant. For more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.
NORTHEAST
Cedar River (above Nashua)
Use extreme caution when going on river ice and check ice depths often. With recent rain and snowfall events, water levels are jumping around causing unstable ice conditions. Ice jams have also been causing problems.
Decorah District Streams
Urban catchable trout stocking is in full swing. Check our webpage for dates and locations. Streams are in good condition but flows are up. Gravel roads in our area are in poor condition due to recent snowfall. There is 8 to 10 inches of snow on the ground. Brook Trout – Good: Use flies or lures that look like sculpins, dace or suckers. Brown Trout – Good: Anglers have had success using a nymph rig with a scud dropper but most fish were hitting wet flies. Rainbow Trout – Good: Use black fly midge or hares ear wet flies in the riffles. Slowly pull a black bead head fly with a yellow scud dropper through the upper and lower ends of pools for trout in deeper water.
Lake Hendricks
All parking lots are now open. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the ice. The aerator is on so be careful; there is open water around it. Ice depths are 8-10 inches with 10 inches of heavy snow on top. Bluegill – Slow: Use small brightly colored jigs tipped with a spike. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Try a small spinner tipped with a wax worm. Black Crappie – Slow: Use small brightly colored jig tipped with a wax worm suspended in the water column.
Lake Meyer
Lake Meyer currently has 12 inches of ice, but it much decrease with predicted rain and warm temperatures. The edges may get soft. Water clarity has decreased with about 5 feet of visibility. Fish activity has been variable; move around to find fish. Midday bite has been best. Bluegill – Slow: Use a jig tipped with wax worm or red or white spike. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Anglers are seeing fish on cameras; a few have taken a jig tipped with wax worms. Black Crappie – Slow: Crappies are sitting higher off the bottom and are being more finicky.
Turkey River (above Clermont)
Use extreme caution when going out on the Vernon Spring impoundment. There are areas of open water. River water levels are fluctuating due to recent rain and snow fall events. Check ice depths often. Ice depths vary greatly in areas with varying flows. Black Crappie – Slow: Find crappie around downed trees and submerged logs out of the current. Use a jig tipped with a wax worm. Walleye – Slow: Find walleye in the deeper holes around current breaks.
Volga Lake
Volga Lake is reporting 8 inches of ice with 7 inches of new snow on top. Ice is getting a bit poky with freeze thaw cycles. Fish activity is best around early to mid-morning. Bluegill – Slow: Use small brightly colored jigs tipped with a wax worm. Find fish along the dam and universal access dock. Black Crappie – Slow: Find crappies suspended in deeper water late season.
Winter is back with daytime temperatures below freezing through the weekend. Most of the northern counties in our area received 8 inches of heavy, wet snow. Use extreme caution when going out on the ice. Check ice depths often especially where there is current or springs. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.
Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Reports of anglers catching bluegill yet on Casey Lake. Bluegill – Fair: Concentrate near structure towards the dam portion of the lake.
South Prairie Lake
Reports of anglers catching bluegill yet on South Prairie Lake. Bluegill – Fair: Look for past angler activity on where may be the best place to fish.
Angling reports have been few as the recent snowstorm slowed both angler and fish activity. Use extreme caution on all lakes as ice conditions vary from lake to lake. Anglers are still taking some bluegill from area lakes in Black Hawk County. Interior rivers remain partially iced over and are up from recent rain and snowfall. Trout streams are in excellent condition, contact the N.E. District Office at 563-927-3276 for more information.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Mississippi River Pool 9
River level has risen to 9.5 feet at Lansing and is expected to rise slowly over the next week. Most quiet back waters have 10 -12 inches of ice. The forecast for rain and above freezing temperatures at night over the next few days and rising water can deteriorate ice. Use caution along shorelines and any areas that may have current. Bluegill – Good: Fishing for bluegills remains good but can be hit or miss at times with sorting of smaller fish. Shore slough, Phillippi and Village Creek remain popular areas. Yellow Perch – Fair: Anglers are catching a few perch through the ice along vegetation beds in deeper backwater cuts. Largemouth Bass – Good: Fish minnows under tip-ups in backwater areas and marina areas with no current.
Mississippi River Pool 10
River level is up several feet at 19.1 feet at Lynxville and is expected to rise over the next week. Most quiet back waters have 10 -12 inches of ice. The forecast for rain and above freezing temperatures at night over the next few days and rising water can deteriorate ice. Use caution along shorelines and any areas that may have current. Bluegill – Good: Fishing for bluegills remains good but can be hit or miss at times with sorting of smaller fish. Norwegian Lake in Sny Magill and Greymore Lake by Prairie Du Chien are popular areas for ice anglers. Yellow Perch – Fair: Anglers are catching a few perch through the ice along vegetation beds in deeper backwater cuts. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Fish minnows under tip-ups in backwater areas and marina areas with no current.
Mississippi River Pool 11
River level is 11.2 feet at Guttenberg and is expected to rise over the next week. The gates are up at the Lock and Dam this week. Most quiet back waters have 10 -12 inches of ice. The forecast for rain and above freezing temperatures at night over the next few days and rising water can deteriorate ice. Use caution along shorelines and any areas that may have current. The boat ramps in Guttenberg remain blocked with ice. Yellow Perch – Fair: Anglers are catching a few perch through the ice along vegetation beds in deeper backwater cuts. Bluegill – Good: Fishing for bluegills remains good but can be hit or miss at times with sorting of smaller fish. Fishing remains popular in the Sunfish Lake and Zollikoffer Slough at Mud Lake. Largemouth Bass – Good: Fish minnows under tip-ups in backwater areas and marina areas with no current.
Upper Mississippi River levels are on the rise again in the Upper Mississippi Pools 9-11. Most quiet back waters have 10 -12 inches of ice. The forecast for rain and above freezing temperatures at night over the next few days and rising water can deteriorate ice. Use caution along shorelines and any areas that may have current. Ice conditions are very slick with standing water on the ice; ice cleats are strongly recommended.
Mississippi River Pool 12
The water level is near 10.3 feet at Dubuque tailwater and near 12.6 feet at the RR bridge. These levels are going back up this week. Edge ice is bad and ice quality is deteriorating, but some ice fishing is still taking place. Be careful and know your ice fishing safety rules. Hawthorne Street ramp still had ice in front of it but that could change soon. Bluegill – Good: Bluegills are numerous but smaller this ice fishing season. Yellow Perch – Good: Good sized yellow perch have been consistently reported by ice anglers this year. Largemouth Bass – Good: Lots of bass are being reported from most backwaters. Bass bite has been aggressive in some areas and sometimes it dominates the catch.
Mississippi River Pool 13
The water level is near 10.3 feet at Bellevue. This is nearly the same as last week, but water level is raising. The tailwater is still mostly open but an ice flow could occur at any time. As of now the ramp is open with lots of anglers. Walleye – Good: Good walleye and sauger angling was reported. Anglers are mostly using some sort of minnow rig. Sauger – Good: Use jig and minnow.
Mississippi River Pool 14
The water level is near 9.3 feet at Fulton, 12.6 feet at Camanche and 7.0 feet at Le Claire. Water levels are on the rise again this week. Poor ice conditions were reported throughout Pool 14.
Mississippi River Pool 15
The water level is 10.3 feet at Rock Island, which is up from last week. Water will be rising again this week. No fishing was reported in Pool 15. Ice fishing in Pool 15 is limited and takes place in Marina areas; poor ice conditions exist in most locations.
Ice fishing conditions have deteriorated this week with the rising river and rain. Some ice fishing is still taking place but mostly by people with air boats. The Mississippi River is still unusually high for this time of year and will raise again this week. If you have any angling questions, please contact the Bellevue Fisheries Station 563-872-4976.
Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage is 10.13 feet at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities and rising. The Marquette St. ramp is open. Walleye and sauger fishing is being reported as slow. There are unsafe ice conditions with the recent rains, warm weather and rising river levels. Sauger – Slow: Fishing for saugers has been slow below the dam and in Sylvan Slough. Walleye – Slow.
Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage is 9.41 feet at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine and is forecasted to rise. The boat ramps in Muscatine are open. Some flow ice was coming down the channel Wednesday morning. Tailwater fishing for walleye and saugers has been slow. There are unsafe ice conditions with the warmer weather, recent rains and rising river levels. Sauger – Slow: Tailwater fishing for saugers below Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine has been slow. Walleye – Slow: Walleye fishing below the dam in Muscatine is slow.
Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 11.53 feet at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston and is rising. The gates at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston are out of the water. We have not received any tailwater fishing reports for walleye and sauger. There are unsafe ice conditions with the warmer weather, recent rains and rising river levels.
Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 8.04 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and is forecasted to rise. We have not received any fishing reports for this pool this week with the high water conditions. There are unsafe ice conditions with the recent high water and warmer weather.
River stages are forecasted to rise throughout the weekend. Tailwater fishing for walleyes and saugers has been slow. There are unsafe ice conditions with the warmer weather, recent rains and rising river levels. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.
SOUTHEAST
Big Hollow Lake
Unsafe ice conditions.
Lake Belva Deer
Unsafe ice conditions.
Lake Darling
Unsafe ice conditions. Edges are open water; the goose hole in the middle of the lake is about 40-50 acres of open water and the rest of the ice looks more like slush than ice.
Lake Geode
Unsafe ice conditions.
For more information on the above lakes, contact the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.
Coralville Reservoir
The lake is holding at normal winter pool. The ice is unsafe and there are many areas of open water.
Diamond Lake
Ice fishing is not recommended; there is a lot of water around the shorelines. The ice fishing derby scheduled for Jan. 28th has been cancelled.
Hannen Lake
The ice is reported as being poor; ice fishing is not recommended.
Lake Macbride
A few anglers are still out on the ice. Shorelines are poor in many areas; there are a number of expanses of open water and the remaining ice is extremely variable. Ice fishing is not recommended for anglers not extremely familiar with the lake.
Otter Creek Lake
Ice fishing is not recommended; there hasn’t been any fishing activity.
Pleasant Creek Lake
The lake is currently down 13′ for the restoration project. Most of the lake has 8 inches of ice, but the shorelines are poor. Use caution if venturing out. Bluegill – Fair: Quite a few bluegills are being caught along the dam on waxies. Size has been marginal but you can sort some keepers out. Yellow Perch – Slow: Use a jig/waxie and small spoon/minnow head. Walleye – Fair: Most fish are small. Try a spoon or jigging rap tipped with a minnow head in 20-25 feet of water. Black Crappie – Slow: Use a jig/waxie around deeper brush. White Bass – Slow: Try spoons or jigging raps tipped with minnows.
Many areas are unsafe or marginal at best. Use extreme caution and check ice often if venturing out.For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Lake Keomah
The warmer temperatures last week deteriorated the ice. There is open water and the ice has started to deteriorate along the shorelines.
Lake Miss (Tug Fork W)
The ice has deteriorated since last week and there is water on top of the ice. The ice along the shorelines has started melting.
Lake Sugema
Ice conditions have deteriorated since last week. The lake has quite a bit of open water due to geese keeping some areas open and the wind after the warm temperatures and rain.
Lake Wapello
The ice has deteriorated since last week and the lake still has open water in front of the lodge and the beach area. There is also water on top of the ice.
Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 904.68 msl. Normal operating elevation is 904.0 msl. Lake Rathbun contains zebra mussels so make sure to properly drain, clean, and dry equipment before transporting to another water body. The lake has open water in the main lake and the ice has melted along the shorelines. Conditions have deteriorated since last week.
Red Haw Lake
Ice conditions have deteriorated since last week. The lake has open water by the dam and beach area and around the shorelines.
Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa.
SOUTHWEST
Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake
Rainbow Trout – No Report: The next trout stocking will be Saturday, Feb. 4th at noon pending good ice conditions. A decision will be made early in the week of Jan. 30th.
Beaver Lake
Bluegill – Good: Start in the standing trees mid lake or on the edge of the deepest water on the northeast part of the lake. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers fishing in the trees for bluegills are picking up some crappie as well. There is a group of 9.5 to 10.5 inch crappies.
Big Creek Lake
Bluegill – Slow: A few decent gills are being caught fishing the brush piles at the mouths of the bays. Black Crappie – Slow: Find 9-11 inch crappies on brush piles in the main lake and suspended in the evenings off the creek channel mid-lake.
Dakins Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Ice anglers are finding good bluegill fishing throughout the lake. The most popular area to start out is within the flooded timber, but there are other structures holding fish shown on maps at some of the access points.
Don Williams Lake
Black Crappie – Good: Use wax worms or minnows. Target the mid-lake section at depths of 15-25 feet; schools of crappie are moving through suspended.
