NORTHWEST

Black Hawk Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Use a waxworm or piece of crawler on a small jig fished below a bobber. Muskellunge – Fair: Several muskies have been picked up within the last week around Gunshot Hill and Ice House Point.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
This time of year is good for catching catfish from shore with cut bait fished on the windblown shorelines of the lake. Look for walleye fishing from shore to start to pick up as water temperatures slowly warm.

Lakes in Western Iowa are ice free again. More reports will be available as warmer temperatures bring anglers back out. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.

Clear Lake
The lake is ice free. The water temperature is in the mid 30’s. The courtesy dock at the Island boat ramp is in and the docks at McIntosh and Lynne Lorenzen accesses will be put in soon.

Winnebago River
Northern pike and walleye fishing should get better as the water levels drop. Use live bait or crank baits and twister tails in the slack water below the dams with.

Most of the lakes in the north central area are ice free again. For information in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.

East Fork Des Moines (state line to Algona)
East Fork Des Moines River is currently below flood stage. Walleye – Fair: Anglers will continue to catch early season fish; look for the action to improve as the water warms.

East Okoboji Lake
East Okoboji Lake is ice free. There is limited fishing activity at this time. As of March 23, no public docks have been placed in the lake. Channel Catfish – Good: Use cut bait or other traditional baits after dark for “pole bending” action.

Little Sioux River (state line to Linn Grove)
Little Sioux River is currently below flood stage.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Walleye – Fair: Wader anglers fishing after dark will catch fish; use a slow presentation for the best action.

Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake is ice free. There is limited fishing activity at this time. As of March 23, no public docks have been placed in the lake. Spirit Lake Hatchery crews have started collecting bloodstock northern pike. Smallmouth Bass – Good: On sunny days as the water warms, fish shallow rock piles for active fish. Use a slow presentation such as a jig and minnow.

West Okoboji Lake
West Okoboji Lake is ice free. As of March 23, no public docks have been placed in the lake. There is limited fishing activity at this time. Look for activity to pick up when warmer temperatures return.

There is limited fishing activity on local lakes. For more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.

NORTHEAST

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Water levels are falling and clarity is excellent. Flows remain high for this time of year. Rainfall amounts may cause the river to rise. Visit the USGS Current Water Data website for more information. Walleye – Good: Try a jig tipped with a minnow or nightcrawler below the dams in the pockets. Channel Catfish – Excellent: Shore anglers using dead chubs or crawlers under a bobber will find success. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Catch good numbers of 9 to 12 inch smallies and occasionally a fish over 18 inches.

Decorah District Streams
The 2017 Catchable Trout Stocking Calendar is out – catchable trout stockings start April 3. Streams are in good condition, but flows remain high. Catch nice trout using jigs tipped with twister tails or feathered spinnerbaits. Brook Trout – Fair: Use flies or lures that look like sculpins, dace or suckers. Brown Trout – Good: Off color water from run-off turns the browns on. Try critters imitating small caddis fly larvae or gnats hatching off the water. Rainbow Trout – Fair: Fish for rainbow trout in the head end of riffles. Try slowly pulling a black bead head fly with a light colored scud or midge dropper through the upper and lower ends of pools for trout in deeper water.

Lake Hendricks
Few anglers have been out. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use a dead fish on a hook in shallower water on windblown shorelines.

Lake Meyer
No one has been out on the lake. Channel Catfish – Slow: Try a dead chub or some other minnow on a rocky windblown shoreline.

Turkey River (above Clermont)
Water levels are falling, but flows remain up. Water clarity is improving.  Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Try a jig tipped with a minnow around a current break.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water levels are falling and clarity is improving. Predicted rainfall may raise water levels and muddy the water. Visit the USGS Current Water Data website for more information. Walleye – Fair: Use a blade bait or bigger crankbait near coldwater tributaries. Brown Trout – Fair: Try spinnerbaits near the mouths of coldwater tributaries.

Volga Lake
Few anglers have been out this week.  Channel Catfish – Slow: Use dead minnows or other dead fish efforts along windblown shores to attract a cruising cat.

Wapsi River (state line to Tripoli)
River is high but clarity is excellent. Popular areas to fish are around North Washington, Frederika, and Independence. Northern Pike – Fair: Use spoons or jigs tipped with a twister tail.

Rain is forecast for the weekend. Temperatures will be in the mid 40’s to low 50’s. Anglers must get a landowner’s permission to fish private property, even if it can be accessed through public property. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Walleye – Good: Use jig and minnow combinations in eddies or slack water areas off of main flow. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try jig and minnow combinations in rip-rap or rocky shoreline areas. Many anglers will catch smallmouth while fishing for walleye. Northern Pike – Fair: Cast bucktail spinner baits or float a live shiner or chub under a bobber.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
Walleye – Good: Use jig and minnow combinations in eddies or slack water areas off of main flow. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try jig and minnow combinations in rip-rap or rocky shoreline areas. Many anglers will catch smallmouth while fishing for walleye.

Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
Northern pike fishing has been good on the Upper Wapsipinicon River in Bremer County. Walleye and smallmouth bass should be biting well in Buchanan County. Walleye – Fair: Use jig and minnow combinations in eddies or slack water areas off of main flow. Northern Pike – Good: Cast bucktail spinner baits or float a live shiner or chub under a bobber. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Try jig and minnow combinations in rip-rap or rocky shoreline areas. Many anglers will catch smallmouth while fishing for walleye.

Angling reports have improved for walleye and smallmouth bass on the interior rivers. 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 level is 8.4 feet at Lansing and is expected to rise slowly to 8.8 feet by next week. The boat ramp at New Albin is now open. Water temperatures are in the mid 40’s. Walleye – Fair: Walleye fishing is happening in the tailwaters and over closing dams, but may be more difficult with the high water and current. Yellow Perch – Excellent: Perch fishing continues to be successful at the public boat ramp areas and side channels with little or no current. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are becoming more active. Check shoreline brush in backwaters using a slow presentation as water is still cold.

Mississippi River Pool 10
River level is 16.8 feet at Lynxville and is expected to rise to 18.4 feet by next week. Water temperatures are in the mid 40’s. Walleye – Good: Some nice walleyes have been caught in the tailwaters over the past week mostly on jig and minnow. Sauger – Good: The sauger bite has been good vertical jigging in tailwater areas. Yellow Perch – Excellent: Perch fishing continues to be successful at the public boat ramp areas and side channels with little or no current. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are becoming more active. Check shoreline brush in backwaters using a slow presentation as water is still cold.

Mississippi River Pool 11
River level is 8.8 feet at Guttenberg and is expected to rise to 10.2 feet by next week. Water temperatures are in the mid 40’s. The gates are down now at Lock and Dam 10, but may be raised later next week. Walleye – Good: Some nice walleyes have been caught in the tailwaters over the past week mostly on jig and minnow. Sauger – Good: The sauger bite has been good vertical jigging in tailwater areas. Yellow Perch – Excellent: Perch fishing continues to be successful at the public boat ramp areas and side channels with little or no current. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are becoming more active. Check shoreline brush in backwaters using a slow presentation as water is still cold.

The Upper Mississippi River levels have fallen the past week, but are expected to begin rising again. Water temperature in the channel is in the mid 40’s. More fish are becoming active with water temperatures rising.

Mississippi River Pool 12
River levels are 9.2 feet at the Dubuque Lock and Dam and 11.4 feet at the RR bridge.  Levels will recede all week. Some of the smaller boat ramps in Pool 12 are still under water or will have debris on them. Sauger – Good: Some tailwater angling is taking place. High water is making it difficult to find fish. Conditions improved this week. Walleye – Fair: Walleye tailwater angling is underway.  Use a gig and minnow rig. Yellow Perch – Good: Find yellow perch in tailwaters near shore but out of the main current.

Mississippi River Pool 13
River level is 10.5 feet at Bellevue. This is down two feet from last week and levels will recede all week. Some of the smaller boat ramps in Pool 13 are still under water or will have debris on them. Gates went into operation on Sunday. Paddlefish – Slow: Find paddlefish in the deeper holes in the tailwaters. High water is making paddlefish snagging difficult but conditions are improving. Sauger – Good: The sauger and walleye bite improved this week; use jigs and minnows. High water is making it difficult to find fish. Yellow Perch – Good: Find yellow perch in tailwaters near shore but out of the main current. Walleye – Fair: A few slot fish reported.  The tailwater gates went back down this week.  Fishing is expected to improve if levels keep falling.

Mississippi River Pool 14
River level is 10.2 feet at Fulton, 12.8 feet at Camanche and 7.4 feet at Le Claire. This is down over one foot from last week and levels will recede all week. Some of the smaller boat ramps in Pool 14 are still under water or will have debris on them.  Paddlefish – Slow: Find paddlefish in the deeper holes in the tailwater areas. Please review paddlefish rules before venturing out. Sauger – No Report: Sauger fishing conditions are improving as water recedes.

Mississippi River Pool 15
River level is 10.5 feet at Rock Island. This is down two feet from last week and levels will recede all week. Some of the smaller boat ramps in Pool 15 are still under water or will have debris on them. No fishing was reported to us from Pool 15.

The main channel water temperature is 41 degrees; this is up three degrees from last week. Water levels are still high but will recede this week. Paddlefishing is underway – find rules and tips on the DNR paddlefish website.  Many boat ramps are still under water or have debris on them. If you have any angling questions, please contact the Bellevue Fisheries Station 563-872-4976.

SOUTHEAST

Big Hollow Lake
Largemouth Bass – Slow: Just a few anglers have been out on the lake. Look around the islands down at the lower end of the lake; work a rubber worm in the shallows out in the sun.

Environmental Discovery Park North Pond
The spring trout release will be at 10 am on Friday, March 24th. We’ll stock 1000 trout at that time.  Rainbow Trout – Excellent: the trout fishing will be very good, with lots of limits caught shortly after 10 am on March 24.

Lake Belva Deer
Water temperature was 38 last week; it’s moved up into the low 40’s this week. The few anglers that have been out are looking for bass on the warmest days. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Anglers are picking up a few bass on rubber worms and lizards working them very slowly.

Lake Darling
The water temperature seems are holding in the low 40’s. Largemouth Bass – Fair: A few anglers have been picking up a few bass on the warmer days. Work your lure slowly; these fish are still on the cold side.

Lake Geode
Water temperature has been around 44 degrees; a couple of degrees warmer on the warmest days. Largemouth Bass – Slow: A few bass have been caught in the shallow bays on the north side of the lake and around the beach during the warmest days. Channel Catfish – Slow: A few catfish have been caught using cut bait. Forecasted rains should bring them up to the upper end of the lake.

Lake of the Hills
The spring trout release will be on Friday, March 24th at noon. 2000 trout will be released. Rainbow Trout – Excellent: Forecasting the fishing at Lake of the Hills for shortly after 12 pm on Friday, March 24th.

Lost Grove Lake
Largemouth Bass – Slow: A few bass are being caught in shallow around the trees; work weedless lures slowly around the habitat. Channel Catfish – Fair: Work the rip rap facing into the wind with cut bait to catch the catfish working the warmer water.

Wilson Lake
The spring trout stocking at Wilson Lake will be at noon on Friday, March 24th. 1000 trout will be stocked. Rainbow Trout – Excellent: Come out on, or after, March 24th and catch some trout.

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

Central Park Lake
The lake is mostly drained for an upcoming renovation project. There is still a small pool of water with fish. Relaxed fishing regulations have been extended to take advantage of these fish. There are no length or bag limits for fish in Central Park Lake. Normal regulations still apply to the new pond in Central Park.

Coralville Reservoir
The water level is at normal spring pool of 679.4′ Boating above Lake Macbride State Park is difficult to impossible for most boats at this level. The boat docks are in at Lake Macbride Park ramp and Mehaffey Bridge ramp. Channel Catfish – Good: Catfish are being caught on cut bait. Most of the catches are in areas above Lake Macbride State Park, so specialized boats are often needed. Shore anglers are catching some fish under/around the 380/965 bridges.

Diamond Lake
No minnows are allowed here. Bluegill – Slow: Use small jigs or worms/waxworms around brush and off the jetties. Many 7- to 8-inch fish were reported. Black Crappie – Slow: Try small jigs or waxworms around/off the jetties. Most fish were 8- to 10-inches.

Hannen Lake
The water is still cold and fish are holding deep. There are no fishing reports at this time.

Kent Park Lake
Fishing regulations have been relaxed for Kent Park Lake only to take advantage of the fish before the lake is drained later in the year for a scheduled renovation project. There will be no length or bag limits for fish in the lake. Contact the Johnson County Conservation Board at 319-645-2315 for questions about the project. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers were catching some fish on waxworms around brush.

Lake Macbride
All boats may run at no wake speed at this time. Boat docks were put in this week. Water temperatures are in the low 40’s. Black Crappie – Slow: Some fish are being caught over structure in 15-20 feet of water on minnows. Walleye – Slow: Some fish were caught over structure in 15-25 feet of water on minnows.

Pleasant Creek Lake
The lake is currently still down 11′ from the restoration project. The in-lake construction is completed and the valve has been closed since this winter. The main boat ramp is open but it is extremely shallow; use caution at these water levels. Some anglers have been fishing by boat and off shore, but no reports are available.

Terry Trueblood Lake
Trout will be stocked here on Saturday, March 25 at 11 am. 2000 trout will be stocked (1800 rainbows, 200 brooks). You must have a fishing license and trout stamp to fish for and/or possess trout. Rainbow Trout – Good: Use small jigs/spinners or small worms/minnows. Other Berkley Powerbait products (dough, nuggets, eggs) are also effective. Brook Trout – Good: Use small jigs/spinners or small worms/minnows. Other Berkley Powerbait products (dough, nuggets, eggs) are also effective.

Fishing slowed down this past week with the cold weather. For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Hawthorn Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Use nightcrawlers or shad sides along windblown shorelines.

Lake Keomah
Channel Catfish – Slow: Try cut bait or nightcrawlers along windblown shorelines. Bluegill – No Report: As the water warms, try small jigs in the shallows for active fish.

Lake Sugema
Channel Catfish – Slow: Use cut bait along windblown shorelines. Black Crappie – Slow: As the water warms up, try different depths using live bait presentation.

Lake Wapello
Channel Catfish – Slow: Use cut bait or nightcrawlers around the jetties. Largemouth Bass – No Report: As the water warms, try using spinnerbaits or crankbaits along the shallows for active fish.

Ottumwa Park Pond East (Trout Pond)
Trout will be stocked on Saturday, March 25th at 11:00 AM. Use spoons or jigs.

Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 903.91 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. Channel Catfish – Good: Anglers have been catching channel catfish using shad or shrimp along the windblown shorelines.

Red Haw Lake|
Channel Catfish – Slow: Use cut bait or nightcrawlers along windblown shorelines. Bluegill – Slow: As the water warms, look for active fish 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: Trout were stocked here on Feb. 9th. Use spinners, panfish jigs and waxworms or minnows under a bobber.

Des Moines River (Saylorville to Red Rock)
Anglers interested in snagging big head and silver carp should try below the Red Rock spillway. The fish are there in high numbers and anglers are doing well. Walleye – Slow: Fishing below the dams from Saylorville through Des Moines is slow right now; test the waters for walleyes and white bass when warmer weather returns. Slowly retrieve jigs tipped with twister tails, paddle tail swimbaits or live minnows.

Lake Petocka
Rainbow Trout – Good: Trout were stocked here on Feb. 3rd. Cast small inline spinners, spoons, panfish jigs and waxworms or live minnows under a bobber.

More fishing reports will resume when warmer weather brings anglers back to the water. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823.

Big Lake (Including Gilbert’s Pond)
1000 rainbow trout were stocked here on Feb. 16th. Rainbow Trout – Fair: Cast small spinners or minnows under a bobber.

Greenfield Lake
Greenfield Lake has a good fish population. It’s a good destination for early spring channel catfish fishing.

Lake Anita
Lake Anita will provide good fishing this spring. Find a large crappie population in the lake averaging 9-inches and bluegills up to 9.5-inches. The pontoon area is a hotspot for crappie this time of the year.

Lake Manawa
Crappie fishing the canals can be good on warm sunny days after ice out. Manawa has a decent population of 10- to 12-inch white crappie. Manawa is also a good destination for early season catfish. White Crappie – Fair: Cast twister tails or minnows under a bobber in the canals. Sorting is needed for the larger fish. Black Crappie – Fair: Manawa has a large year class of 5- to 7-inch black crappie that will provide good crappie fishing the next couple of years. Walleye – Slow: Cast twister tails tipped with a minnow on the south shoreline.

Littlefield Lake
Littlefield Lake has quality size black crappies and bluegill.

Orient Lake
Orient lake has a good population of 10-inch crappie that will provide good fishing this spring. Bluegills l average 7-inches.

Prairie Rose Lake
Expect to catch quality size bluegills again this spring. The crappies stocked in 2014 will reach an acceptable size to harvest in 2017. The lake also supports a good population of channel catfish and the largemouth bass will provide good catch and release fishing.

Water temperatures in the southwest district are in the mid 40’s. Fishing reports will resume as angler reports come in. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587.

Green Valley Lake
Largemouth Bass – Fair: Catch largemouth bass of all sizes with crankbaits or tube jigs fished near rock piles and stake beds. Bluegill – Fair: Catch bluegill up to 8-inches using jigs or nightcrawlers fished near cedar tree brush piles.