NORTHWEST
Arrowhead Lake
Ice thickness was 9 inches on Feb. 9th. Bluegill – Fair: Use a wax worm on a small jig fished near structure. Fish are up to 8-9 inches. Black Crappie – Fair: Try a jig tipped with a wax worm near structure on. Others have had luck with a small jigging rap.
Bacon Creek Lake
Ice is about 10-11 inches. About 1,500 rainbow trout were stocked on February 4th. Catch trout with 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
Ice thickness off Ice House Point boat ramp was 14 inches on Feb. 9th. There are areas of open water in the east basin. The winter aeration system is in operation so expect thin ice and open water in Town Bay. Bluegill – Fair: Use a small jig tipped with a wax worm around the Gunshot Hill and Ice House Point areas. Walleye – Slow: A good area to target walleye through the ice is around Ice House Point and out from Gunshot Hill. Others have had luck fishing the rock pile just north of Cottonwood Point. Try fishing with a minnow head on a jigging spoon during low light hours.
Black Hawk Pits
There was 6-7 inches of ice on Feb. 9th. Use caution if going out; conditions are variable near shore. Catch bluegill and crappie with small jigs tipped with wax worms or minnows.
Brushy Creek Lake
Ice conditions are variable on Brushy Creek Lake; most ice is 7 to 14 inches. Warmer temperatures the next few days will degrade ice near inflows and flooded timber. Use caution and check 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.
Moorehead Park Pond
Ice is about 10 – 11 inches. Expect to see 6-8 inch bluegill, 8-9 inch crappies and 15-20 inch channel catfish.
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 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 usually suspended; use a jig tipped with a wax worm or a minnow during low light hours.
As of Feb. 9th, most lakes in the district have 5 to 14 inches of ice. Some lakes have areas of open water. Warmer temperatures over the next several days will cause some ice degradation, especially near shore and inflow areas. Use caution and test ice depths often. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Beeds Lake
Ice thickness is 14-16 inches. Bluegill – Good: Use small jigs with wax worms and jigging spoons. Black Crappie – Good: Try small jigs tipped with wax worms and jigging spoons.
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 17-20 inches on most of the little lake and 17-19 inches on the main lake. Early morning and late afternoon is the best bite. Catch bluegills and crappies near the rushes by the west aeration system. Yellow bass 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 – Slow: Try jigs tipped with minnows or a 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. Bluegill – Fair: Fish near the rushes in the little lake.
Crystal Lake
Ice thickness is 16-18 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: 8 to 9.5 inch crappies are biting on small jigging spoons.
Elm Lake
Ice thickness is 14-16 inches. Yellow Perch – Good: Perch are biting; lots of smaller fish are being caught with a few keepers.
Lake Smith
Ice thickness is 14-16 inches. Bluegill – Good: Use wax worms fished near the bottom. Lots of smaller fish are being caught with a few keepers.
Rice Lake
Ice thickness is 18-20 inches. With the clear water, the best bite has been the last hour of light. Walleye – Slow: Use jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head. Yellow Perch – Slow: Try small jigs tipped with live bait.
Silver Lake (Worth)
Ice thickness is 18-20 inches. Bluegill – Good: Use small jigs tipped with spikes. Yellow Perch – Good: Try small jigging spoons and jigs tipped with bait.
Permanent ice shelters must be removed from all state-owned lands and waters by Feb. 20. Ice shelter owners are encouraged not to wait until the last minute to get their shelter off the ice. 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; avoid areas with open water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas.
East Okoboji Lake
There have been reports of decent walleye, yellow bass, crappie, and perch activity on the south side of the lake near Parks Marina. Walleye – Fair: Try to get on the edge of the weed lines in about 10-12 feet of water. Yellow Bass – Good: Catch lots of yellow bass on the south basin of the lake. Black Crappie – Good: Try fishing on the south basin.
Five Island Lake
Aerators are currently in use on Five Island Lake; avoid areas with open water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas. Yellow Bass – Fair: You may need to move around to find active fish.
Ingham Lake
Aerators are currently in use on Ingham Lake; avoid areas with open water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas.
Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Aerators are currently in use on Silver Lake; avoid areas with open water. Thin ice signs are out; stay outside of the signed in areas.
Spirit Lake
The ice on Big Spirit is sturdy with people driving on at both Marble Beach and Hales slough. The most fish are being reported up North by the inlet near Mini Wakan. Yellow Perch – Slow: Perch on Big Spirit are hard to find right now; you may need to move around. Walleye – Good: The best bite is at dusk. Try on the north end of the lake.
West Okoboji Lake
The fishing on West Okoboji has started to slow down with a few perch, crappies and bluegills still being caught. The fish are hanging out in about 12-15 feet of water right outside of the weed beds. Bluegill – Good: Lots of nice fish coming off the ice. Yellow Perch – Fair: Perch have been active in about 12 feet of water. They are hanging pretty tight to the weed edges. Black Crappie – Good: Crappies have shown decent activity in the bays.
The fishing on the Iowa Great Lakes has started to slow down over the past week. Anglers coming off the ice with fish report that it took them a lot of time and a lot of movement to get on any fish. The walleye season closes on Feb. 14th; try to take advantage of it while you can in the upcoming days. 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; check ice depths often. Ice depths can change fast. Water level fluctuations are causing air pockets and open water.
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 remain elevated. Gravel road conditions are improving. Snow depths vary but with this recent cold, snow is hard and crusty. Anglers should start to see insects hatching on warmer sunny afternoons. 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: Black fly midge or hares ear wet flies are attracting bows fished 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
Ice depths are 8-10 inches. All parking lots are open. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the ice. The aerator is on so be careful. There is open water around it. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are catching bluegills with small brightly colored jigs tipped with a spike but it’s slow going. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Use a small spinner tipped with a wax worm or minnow head. Black Crappie – Slow: Try small brightly colored jig tipped with a wax worm suspended in the water column.
Lake Meyer
Lake Meyer currently has 12 inches of ice. Water clarity is improving. Fish activity has been variable. Anglers need to move around to find fish. Early bite is 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 Vernon Spring impoundment. There are areas of open water; ice depths change fast especially with increased flows. Check ice depths often. Black Crappie – Slow: Use a jig tipped with a wax worm around downed trees and submerged logs out of the current. Walleye – Slow: Find walleye in the deeper holes around current breaks.
Volga Lake
Volga Lake is reporting 8 inches of ice; watch for thin spots. Check ice depths often; you may need to use a spud bar. Ice is getting a bit poky with freeze thaw cycles. Fish activity has been best around early to mid-morning. Bluegill – Slow: Use small brightly colored jigs tipped with a wax worm along the dam and universal access dock. Black Crappie – Slow: Find crappies suspended in deeper water late season.
Weather patterns continue to fluctuate, but temperatures should warm by the weekend with a chance of 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.
Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
There have been reports of anglers catching northern pike on some Cedar River backwater areas. Use extreme caution when venturing onto river ice. Northern Pike – Fair: Vertical jig with or set some tip-ups with a live shiner for some great pike tip-up action.
Ice fishing reports and success has decreased over the past week. Ice conditions vary on Black Hawk County lakes, but most have 6 to 10 inches of ice. Interior rivers are opening up as weather improves; conditions for the upcoming weekend looks great. Area 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 levels are 9 feet at Lansing and are expected to remain stable at this level over the next week. Although 8-10 inches of ice remain in quiet backwaters, shoreline ice has degraded and may continue to degrade over the next week with predicted warmer weather. Use extreme caution getting on and off ice and avoid any areas that may have current.
Mississippi River Pool 10
River levels are 17.5 feet at Lynxville and are expected to remain stable at this level over the next week. Although 8-10 inches of ice remain in quiet backwaters, shoreline ice has degraded and may continue to degrade over the next week with predicted warmer weather. Use extreme caution getting on and off ice and avoid any areas that may have current. Johnson Slough in Sny Magill is unsafe to cross. The boat ramp at Lynxville remains blocked with ice.
Mississippi River Pool 11
River levels are 9.5 feet at Guttenberg and are expected to remain stable at this level over the next week. Although 8-10 inches of ice remain in quiet backwaters, shoreline ice has degraded and may continue to degrade over the next week with predicted warmer weather. Use extreme caution getting on and off ice and avoid any areas that may have current. The boat ramps in Guttenberg remain blocked with ice.
River levels in the Upper Mississippi pools 9-11 have fallen over the last week but remain high. Levels are expected to stabilize at current levels over the next week. Although 8-10 inches of ice remain in quiet backwaters, shoreline ice has degraded and may continue to degrade over the next week with predicted warmer weather. Use extreme caution getting on and off ice and avoid any areas that may have current.
Mississippi River Pool 12
The water level is near 10 feet at Dubuque tailwater and near 12 feet at the RR bridge. Levels are expected to slowly recede. In the backwaters the edge ice is marginal but some ice fishing is taking place. Be careful and know your ice fishing safety rules. Ice flows will limit tailwater fishing at times. Bluegill – Good: Bluegills are numerous but smaller this ice fishing season. Yellow Perch – Good: Ice anglers consistently report good sized yellow perch this year. Yellow perch have been finicky; some report using small minnow heads or blood worms for bait. Largemouth Bass – Good: Lots of bass are being reported from most backwaters. Bass bite has been aggressive in some areas; sometimes it dominates the catch. Sauger – No Report: Ice flows are still occurring but some ramp options have opened up. No fishing was reported to us but it will begin in earnest soon.
Mississippi River Pool 13
The water level is near 10 feet at Bellevue. Water level is now receding. The tailwater is still mostly open, but an ice flow could happen at any time. As of now the ramp is open with lots of anglers. The DNR ramp is also open at this time. Ice fishing is occurring in a few locations but many areas have marginal ice. Walleye – Good: Walleye fishing has been good, but water level changes have affected the creel numbers. Sauger – Good: Most anglers are using a minnow rig.
Mississippi River Pool 14
The water level is near 9 feet at Fulton, 12 feet at Camanche and 7 feet at Le Claire. Water levels are receding this week. Poor ice fishing conditions were reported throughout Pool 14. No report on tailwater angling, but it could be underway.
Mississippi River Pool 15
The water level is near 10 feet at Rock Island and is receding. No fishing was reported in Pool 15 although tailwater angling will begin soon.
Thanks to cool weather, ice fishing conditions have improved a bit but marginal conditions still exist in most backwaters. The Mississippi River is unusually high for this time of year. Water levels are expected hold steady to drop this week. If you have any angling questions, please contact the Bellevue Fisheries Station 563-872-4976.
Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage is 8.48 feet at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities and is forecasted to fall over the weekend. The Marquette St. ramp is open but there is some flow ice coming down the channel as of Thursday morning. There are unsafe ice conditions in the backwaters. Sauger – Slow: Earlier in the week, there were a few boats out fishing for saugers below the dam. Try fishing with three-way rigs with stick baits or vertical jigging with minnows. We received reports that Sylvan Slough was frozen up with ice. Walleye – Slow.
Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage is 7.44 feet at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine and is falling. The boat ramps in Muscatine are open. As of Thursday morning, there was some flow ice coming down the channel. There are unsafe ice conditions in the backwaters. 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 9.25 feet at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston and is falling. The gates at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston are out of the water. The toolsboro ramp is open, but there is some flow ice coming down the channel. We have not received any tailwater fishing reports for walleye and sauger with the higher water levels. There are unsafe ice conditions in the backwaters.
Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 6.17 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and is falling. We have not received any fishing reports for this pool this week. There are unsafe ice conditions in the backwaters.
River stages have been falling. As of Thursday morning, there is some flow ice coming down the channel. Tailwater fishing for walleyes and saugers has been slow. There are unsafe ice conditions in the backwaters. Main channel water temperature has been around 32 degrees. 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. It got cold enough over the weekend to refreeze, but then we hit 57 on Monday and 48 on Tuesday and it melted again. Wednesday it tried to refreeze, made some ice around the edges that got cover by snow.
Lake Geode
Unsafe ice conditions.
Lost Grove Lake
Unsafe ice conditions. Some of the edges on the south side froze thick enough over last weekend to walk on, but then it warmed up again, and then Wednesday was cold.
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. There is lots of open water; the remaining ice is unsafe.
Diamond Lake
There is a lot of water around the shorelines; the ice is unsafe.
Hannen Lake
The ice is reported as being unsafe.
Iowa Lake (Iowa County)
On Monday, the ice was reported as being 5-6 inches; there were still some anglers out fishing. Use caution as the weather will be warming beginning on Friday. Bluegill – Fair: A wide range of sizes are being caught. Largemouth Bass – Slow.
Kent Park Lake
The ice is reported as being black and soft with open water areas.
Lake Macbride
Ice fishing is not recommended at this time. The ice is extremely variable and there is some open water. A couple anglers actually fell through last weekend.
Pleasant Creek Lake
The lake is currently down 13 feet for the restoration project. There is about 10 feet of open water around almost the entire lake, making it difficult to impossible to reach the ice.
Sand Lake
The ice is deteriorating quickly here.
Wapsipinicon River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)
The backwaters are unsafe for ice fishing. The ramp below Central City at Wakpicada is open at this time.
Most areas are unsafe or marginal at best. Ice fishing is not recommended for most areas. 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 have deteriorated the ice. There is open water; the ice has started to melt along the shorelines. The ice is not thick enough to support anglers.
Lake Miss (Tug Fork W)
The ice continues to deteriorate. The ice along the shorelines has started to melt.
Lake Sugema
Ice conditions continue to deteriorate. There is open water on the main lake.
Lake Wapello
The ice has deteriorated since last week; there still is open water in front of the lodge and the beach area. The ice is not thick enough to support anglers.
Rathbun Reservoir
The lake has open water in the main lake and the ice has melted along the shorelines. Ice conditions continue to deteriorate. The current lake level is 904.22 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.
Red Haw Lake
Ice conditions continue to be thin. The ice has started melting along 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 – Good: 2,200 rainbow trout were stocked on Thursday, Feb. 9th. Use caution around the edges of the lake and avoid the boat ramp where the car broke through. Try ice fishing jigs and spoons tipped with wax worms or small live minnows. The trout tend to school around the perimeter, so it is best to start off fishing within 30 yards of the shoreline.
Big Creek Lake
Big Creek ice conditions have deteriorated significantly on the north half of the lake with large areas of open water. Anglers are still accessing from the East and Williams Drive boat ramps where ice conditions were better as of Feb. 9th. 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.
Don Williams Lake
As of Feb. 9th, Don Williams ice conditions were still favorable for fishing with thicknesses from 9-11 inches. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers are finding a good crappie bite through the winter. Use wax worms or minnows. Fish are being caught throughout the day, but there is decent sunset to 8 p.m. bite. Targeting the mid-lake section at depths of 15-25 feet, schools of crappie are moving through suspended.
Hickory Grove Lake
Bluegill – Fair: The bluegill fishing has been fair to slow so far this ice season. Anglers are picking some up on brush and pallet piles throughout the lake at depths greater than 10 feet.
Lake Petocka
Ice conditions were fair as of Feb. 9th. Lake Petocka loses its shoreline ice quickly during warm weather. Use caution during and after the weekend of Feb. 11th. Rainbow Trout – Good: Trout were stocked into Lake Petocka on February 3rd. Use ice fishing jigs and spoons tipped with wax worms or small live minnows.
As of Thursday, Feb. 9th, central Iowa lakes and ponds have highly variable ice ranging from open water to 10 inches. The poorest ice conditions are from I80 and south. Check ice thickness often. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823
