NORTHWEST

Arrowhead Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Catch 8- to 9-inch bluegills near structure in 5- to 10-feet of water. For deeper fish, drift a small jig tipped with a piece of crawler. Use a bobber if fishing closer to shore.

Black Hawk Lake
Surface water temperature is around 73 degrees. Water levels are near the crest of the spillway. Bluegill – Fair: Pick up bluegill just about anywhere along the shoreline in 2- to 5-feet of water. Use a small jig tipped with live bait or a small piece of crawler fished below a bobber off the floating fishing pier, the west stone pier, and the inlet bridge. Black Crappie – Fair: Use a jig with a minnow in 2- to 6-feet of water along Ice House Point, the floating dock and the stone piers in Town Bay. Walleye – Fair: Use live bait fished along the Ice House Point shoreline and the rock piles near Cottonwood Point and in the east basin. Expect walleye fishing to pick up near shore in the next couple of weeks as water temperatures cool. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use nightcrawlers and cut bait fished on the bottom near the floating dock, Ice House Point, and the rock piles near Cottonwood Point and the east basin. ,
Largemouth Bass – Good: Catch largemouth bass just about anywhere along the shoreline with topwater lures, twisters or live bait.

Brushy Creek Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Use a small jig tipped with a piece of crawler in 5- to 15-feet of water. Drift near deep structure, drop-offs and weed lines. Black Crappie – Fair: Try a small piece of crawler or minnow on a jig in 10- to 15-feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Good: Throw topwater lures, weedless baits, spinners and plastic worms along weed lines, near cover and wood structure. Fish deeper for larger fish. Pick up small fish in the shallows. Walleye – Fair.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Surface water temperatures are around 73 degrees. Dredge is in operation in the northeast portion of the lake; boaters must maintain a 100 foot distance from the dredge, booster pump and dredge pipes at all times. Storm Lake has a daily limit of 3 walleye and all 17- to 22-inch walleye must be released; no more than one walleye longer than 22 inches may be taken per day. Walleye – Fair: Troll shad raps or drift crawlers on the edges of the dredge cuts around the lake. Look for walleye activity to pick up as water temperatures begin to cool over the next few weeks.White Bass – Fair: Use crankbaits; most action has been from boat while fishing dredge cuts.

Swan Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Try areas with rocky structure and along weed lines in 2- to 6-feet of water near the jetties, the fish house and the dam. Use a small jig tipped with a piece of crawler or minnow under a bobber. Expect 6- to 9-inch fish.

Yellow Smoke Park Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills can reach 9 inches or more. Look for bluegills in 5- to 10-feet of water near the arm north of the swim beach, the flooded timber near the southwest shoreline, and the coves on the south shore.

Surface water temperature in area lakes is around 73 degrees. Panfishing has been fair to good in most lakes. The channel catfish bite in rivers and lakes is fair. Expect walleye fishing to pick up as water temperatures cool. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.

Clear Lake
The water temperature is 77 degrees. Yellow Bass – Good: Drift a small jig tipped with a piece of crawler or cut bait in 8- to 10-feet of water until you find fish. Walleye – Fair: Use a slip bobber and leech or crawler near the rock reefs or try trolling bottom bouncers with bright colored blades and a nightcrawler. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use cut bait on the windward side of the lake. Muskellunge – Fair: Fish the weed edge and shady areas near docks.

Crystal Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Use a small piece of crawler under a slip bobber near the dredge cut. Black Crappie – Fair: Try a slip bobber and small minnow in the deeper water in the dredge cut. Look for suspended fish on your electronics.

Rice Lake
Walleye – Fair: Use a jig and minnow in the deeper parts of the lake in the late evening.

Silver Lake (Worth)
Largemouth Bass – Good: Largemouth bass are biting on a variety of baits.

For information in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517. 

East Okoboji Lake
Lots of keeper fish are being caught on East Okoboji, with yellow bass being the majority of kept fish. Yellow Bass – Excellent: Good sized yellow bass are still being caught shallow near docks; jig with pilkies and crawlers. Yellow Perch – Good: Jig with tube jigs and pilkies around docks and weed lines.

Five Island Lake
Recent surveys show good numbers of angler acceptable channel catfish.

Little Sioux River (state line to Linn Grove)
Walleye – Fair: Walleye activity is starting to pick up as the water starts to cool down.

Lost Island Lake
Yellow Bass – Good: Yellow bass activity is reported to have improved with the cooler water temperatures.

Spirit Lake
Walleye – Fair: Walleye are still active, but are harder to find as they move to deeper water.  Yellow Perch – Good: The yellow perch bite picked up over the past week; use tube jigs and pilkies.

West Okoboji Lake
Bluegill – Good: Nice sized bluegill are coming off the lake. Try in shallow areas around weed lines. Black Crappie – Good: Crappie are very active; cast tube jigs along weed lines.

The walleye fishing will pick up as the water temperature continues to cool. For more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840. 

NORTHEAST

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Fish are more active with stable water levels and cooler temperatures. Fish are taking a variety of lures and baits. Cedar Lake near Nashua is temporarily experiencing a naturally occurring die-off of channel catfish mainly due to a large algal bloom. Catfish are occasionally susceptible to environmental and handling stress. Walleye – Good: Troll main channel or deeper holes and along current breaks. Use a jig tipped with a minnow or twister tail. Channel Catfish – Good: Use a hook with a dead chub or crawler for a 2 pound catfish. Try also chicken liver, stink bait and nightcrawlers around brush piles. Black Crappie – Good: Use a hook tipped with a minnow in eddies below dams and backwaters around brush piles. Smallmouth Bass – Slow: Use crawdad crankbaits along rocky shorelines and substrates.

Decorah District Streams
Hunting season has started. Many streams run through wildlife management areas where hunting is allowed. Wear bright clothing when not stalking a trout. Trout streams are in good condition. Call 563-927-5736 for current catchable trout stocking locations.  Brook Trout – Good: A variety of small mayflies are hatching mid-afternoon. Use a dry fly for insects hatching off the water surface. Use a nymph or scud dropper for subsurface critters. Brown Trout – Good: Use a hopper pattern in pastured or open areas. In wooded areas in the morning, use #22-24 trico patterns. In the evening, use #18-20 blue wing olive patterns. Rainbow Trout – Good: Freshly stocked trout are hitting a variety of lures and baits. Drift a feathered spinner along an undercut bank.

Lake Hendricks
Lake Hendricks is an electric motor only lake. With cooler weather coming, panfishing is picking up. Black Crappie – Fair: Use a worm or spinnerbait around the jetties. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try topwater lures along the edge of a vegetation for a hiding bass. Channel Catfish – Good: Use a hook tipped with stink bait. Bluegill – Fair: Find bluegills near vegetation edges.

Lake Meyer
Water temperatures are in the mid 60’s. Panfishing should start to pick up with cooler temperatures. Lake Meyer is an electric motor only lake. Bluegill – Fair: Use a small hook tipped with a piece of worm under a bobber near jetties in the evening. Black Crappie – Fair: Find crappie suspended near submersed structure. Use a spinner or jig with bright colored twister tail. Largemouth Bass – Good: Early morning and evening bite is best; use spinners.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
The Upper Iowa is in excellent condition. Be prepared to walk through riffles as water levels fall.  Fly fishers, watch for evening hatches of white and grey mayflies. Flying ants are hatching mid-day. Fall is a good time to use streamers or minnow patterns for bass, trout, and walleye. Walleye – Fair: Drift through a deeper hole or along a current break. Use a jig tipped with a twister tail or worm. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Try jigs tipped with natural colored plastic tails.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water temperatures are in the mid 60’s. Water is slightly muddy below Highway 76. Northern Pike – Fair: Use a steel leader tipped with 1/4 oz. jig tipped with natural colored plastic to a 3 inch jerk bait fished around tributaries or brush piles. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Use jigs tipped with plastic tails in the current breaks or near rock ledges. Walleye – Fair: Drift a jig tipped with a twister tail or worm through a deeper hole or along a current break. Channel Catfish – Fair: Catch a catfish from shore with a hook tipped with a crawler. Evening is best.

Volga Lake
The lake is currently experiencing a green algae bloom. Black Crappie – Fair: Use a jig with a minnow under a bobber near submersed trees for suspended crappie. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are hitting jigs tipped with a nightcrawler or twister tail. Try a topwater lure in the evening as fish come in shallow to feed. Bluegill – Fair: Use a small hook tipped with a piece of worm under a bobber. Channel Catfish – Good: Use stink bait, worms, and cheese baits. Catfish are active in the evening. They are occasionally susceptible to environmental and handling stress. Open sores are visible and likely caused by a bacterial infection. Please release these fish back into the water. Usually, these infections are non-life threatening to fish and people.

It’s going to be a great fall weekend with temperature highs in the low 80’s and 60’s for lows. Area streams and rivers are in good condition. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Mississippi River Pool 9
River level at Lansing is 8.6  feet and is predicted to remain stable. Water temperature has fallen into the mid 60’s. Bluegill – Excellent: Some larger bluegills are being picked up near structure on the side channels. Use a small hook tipped with worm fished under a slip bobber. Channel Catfish – Good:Try nightcrawlers or stink bait fished on the bottom in areas of moderate current where side channels form an eddy. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Lots of drum are still being caught in the swifter current breaks. Bounce a nightcrawler along the bottom or try crayfish for bigger fish. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Smallmouth fishing is improving with reports of many 2-3 pound fish being caught with a worm harness along the riprap near the Black Hawk bridge. Largemouth Bass – Good: Largemouth fishing is good on side channel and main channel shoreline structure. Walleye – Fair: Try a little slower presentation as the water temperature is falling. One eye jigs or bait-rig off the bottom has been effective. Yellow Perch – Fair: Look for perch in vegetated areas along the main channel.  Northern Pike – Fair: Northern pike fishing is picking up in the shallows or in the mouths of tributary streams. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Try live shiners or small bluegill in woody debris to attract flatheads in slack areas off the side channels. Black Crappie – Good: Use light colored jigs or hook tipped with crappie minnows in backwater side-channels.

Mississippi River Pool 10
Lynxville water level has fallen to 15 feet and is predicted to drop slightly then remain stable. Water temperature is 70 degrees at the lock and dam. Bluegill – Excellent: Some larger bluegills are being picked up near structure on the side channels. Use a small hook tipped with worm fished under a slip bobber. Channel Catfish – Good: Try nightcrawlers or stink bait fished on the bottom in areas of moderate current where side channels form an eddy. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Lots of drum are still being caught in the swifter current breaks. Bounce a nightcrawler along the bottom or try crayfish for bigger fish. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Use live bait or artificials along rocky shorelines with good current. Best bite is towards evening. Largemouth Bass – Good: Largemouth fishing is good on side channel and main channel shoreline structure. Walleye – Fair: Try a little slower presentation as the water temperature is falling. One eye jigs or bait-rig off the bottom has been effective. Yellow Perch – Fair: Look for perch in vegetated areas along the main channel.  Northern Pike – Fair: Northern pike fishing is picking up in the shallows or in the mouths of tributary streams. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Use live shiners or small bluegill in woody debris to attract flatheads in slack areas off the side channels. Black Crappie – Good: Use light colored jigs or hook tipped with crappie minnows in backwater side channels.

Mississippi River Pool 11
Mississippi River at Guttenberg has fallen to 6.5 feet and is predicted to drop slightly this week. Water temperature is 65 degrees at the Lock and Dam. Bluegill – Excellent: Some larger bluegills are being picked up near structure on the side channels. Use a small hook tipped with worm fished under a slip bobber. Channel Catfish – Good: Try nightcrawlers or stink bait fished on the bottom in areas of moderate current where side channels form an eddy. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Lots of drum are still being caught in the swifter current breaks. Bounce a nightcrawler along the bottom or try crayfish for bigger fish. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Use live bait or artificials along rocky shorelines with good current. Best bite is towards evening. Largemouth Bass -Good: Largemouth fishing is good on side channel and main channel shoreline structure. Walleye – Fair: Try a little slower presentation as the water temperature is falling. One eye jigs or bait-rig off the bottom has been effective. Yellow Perch – No Report: Look for perch in vegetated areas along the main channel.  Northern Pike – Fair: Northern pike fishing is picking up in the shallows or in the mouths of tributary streams. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Try live shiners or small bluegill in woody debris to attract flatheads in slack areas off the side channels. Black Crappie – Good: Use light colored jigs or hook tipped with crappie minnows in backwater side-channels. Bertom Lake area has been picking up.

Upper Mississippi water levels are holding steady this week. Late summer fishing has been consistent for many species. Water clarity continues to be good with lots of vegetation present. Many backwater species have moved to main channel borders and side sloughs. Water temperature has been gradually falling into the mid to upper 60’s this week.

Mississippi River Pool 12
River levels receded this week. Water levels are 6.4  feet at the Dubuque Lock and Dam and 8.7 feet at the RR bridge. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is 68 degrees in the main channel. Water level should recede slowly all week. Channel Catfish – Good: Use worms and stink bait; move often if you do not find biting fish. Freshwater Drum – Excellent:  A simple egg sinker and worm rig works best. White Crappie – Good: Good numbers and size of crappie reported this week. Most anglers are using small minnows as bait. Walleye – Fair: The wing dam fishing is well underway on the Mississippi River. Some anglers are using worm rigs while others are throwing crankbaits on the dams. Floating weeds are being a real hindrance at times. Bluegill – Good:Find bluegills at the mouths of large backwater areas and along the channel border rock. Flathead Catfish – Excellent: Pull worm rigs near rocky habitats. Lots of flatheads have been caught this year. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent:Throw spinners or small crankbaits around rocky areas with strong current in the evenings. Largemouth Bass – Excellent: Largemouths have pulled out of the shallow backwater areas and are on trees and sandy shoals often chasing minnows. The scum frog bite has been very good in the weed pads. Yellow Perch – Fair: Our first good report of yellow perch being caught in backwater areas on minnows.

Mississippi River Pool 13
Water level is 7.1 feet at the Bellevue Lock and Dam. This is down over a foot from last week. Water levels will recede slowly this week. Water clarity is improving. Water temperature is around 69 degrees in the main channel. Northern Pike – Good: Use flashy white lures. Channel Catfish – Good: Use worm rigs and stink bait above log jams and rock piles; let the smell of the bait flow into the log piles. Move often if you don’t find fish. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Use egg sinker rigs with worms. Drum bite in all types of river conditions. Walleye – Fair: Throw crank baits over the rock piles. Try also worm rigs. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Throw crank baits or spinners near rock piles with strong current.  Bluegill – Good: Use worm rigs in log piles in larger backwater and sloughs. Flathead Catfish – Excellent: Small flathead catfish are hitting on worms; mostly by people fishing for channel cats. Try large live bait fished in the evening hours for bigger flatheads. Largemouth Bass – Excellent: Some fish are on weed edges while others are in logs in deeper sloughs. Use scum frogs and other frog imitations. Black Crappie – Good: Some nice crappies have been reported from the sloughs in Pool 13. Most anglers are using small minnows.

Mississippi River Pool 14
Water levels are 6.6  feet at Fulton, 10.3 feet at Camanche and 5.3 feet at LeClaire.  The River is expected to recede slowly all week. Water clarity has improved. Water temperature is 69 degrees in the main channel. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass had moved out of the large shallow areas into deeper slough habitats. Use frog imitation lures along the weed edges. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Freshwater drum are biting on worm rigs. Catch drum in nearly all moderate current areas. Channel Catfish – Good: Use worm rigs and prepared stink baits fished close to shoreline snags or along rock lines. Walleye – Good: Try Twister tails on the wing dams. Flathead Catfish – Excellent: Some anglers are trot lining flathead catfish using large bullheads as bait. Flathead are most active during the night and evening hours. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try along rock piles with current. Bluegill – Good: Use worms and bobbers along vegetation lines.

Mississippi River Pool 15
Levels are up slightly and are at at 6.7 feet at Rock Island. Water clarity has improved. Water temperature is 69 degrees in the main channel.ater levels should recede all week. Channel Catfish – Good: Try stink bait along the rock piles near Campbells and Arsenal Island. Move often if fish are not hitting. Freshwater Drum – Good: Freshwater drum bite well this time of year. Put them on ice immediately if you are going to clean them. Flathead Catfish – Good: Use large live bait fished near shore during the night and evening hours. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Find smallmouths along rock lines with strong current. White Bass – Fair: A few white bass were reported in the tailwater area and south of the I-74 bridge along the rock lines.

The main channel water temperature is still in the upper 60’s. Fishing conditions have been generally good throughout the district this week. Some aquatic vegetation is floating in the River right now, please do your best to clean your boats and trailers and not transport vegetation to other bodies of water.    If you have any angling questions, please contact the Bellevue Fisheries Station 563-872-4976. 

Mississippi River Pool 16
River stage at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities is  6.75 feet and has been falling this past week. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try worms, stink bait or cut shad in brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. White Crappie – No Report: Look for crappies in the backwaters and flowing side channels. Use jigs and minnows/plastics or minnows under a bobber around brush piles. Walleye – Fair: Look for walleyes on the wing dams. Cast crankbaits over the wing dams or troll three-way rigs with nightcrawlers in front of the wing dams.

Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine is 5.37 feet and has been falling this past week. Channel Catfish – No Report: Try worms, cut shad, or dip baits in brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. White Crappie – Fair: Try jigs and minnows/plastics or minnows under a bobber around brush piles in Big Timber and Cleveland Slough. Walleye – No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing dams. Cast crankbaits or pull three-way rigs with crawlers. Bluegill – Fair: Look for bluegills in the backwaters. Use pieces of worm under a bobber around brush piles.

Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 6 feet at Lock and Dam 17 above New Boston and has been falling this past week. Channel Catfish – Good: Try dip baits, nightcrawlers or cut shad in snags and brush piles along the main channel and side channels. White Crappie – No Report: Use jigs/minnows or minnows under a bobber in the backwaters and flowing side channels around brush piles. Walleye – No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing dams. Cast crankbaits to the wingdams or pull three-way rigs with crawlers.

Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 3.1 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and has been falling. We have not received any fishing reports for this pool this week. Channel Catfish – No Report: Try dip baits, nightcrawlers, or cut shad in brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels.  White Crappie – No Report: Use jigs and minnows/plastics or minnows under a bobber crappies in brush piles in the backwaters and flowing side channels.

River stages have been falling this past week. Water clarity has been fair and main channel water temperature is around 70 degrees. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.

SOUTHEAST

Big Hollow Lake
Weathered warmed up;  water temperature is back into the mid 70’s. Black Crappie – Slow: Anglers are still finding the crappies in deeper water. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Go shallow in the early morning and late evening; as the day gets warmer flow them out to deeper water. Bluegill – Slow: Still look in deeper water, but the hungry ones are harder to find.

Lake Belva Deer
Water temperature is headed back up; currently in the mid 70’s again. Bluegill – Slow: Warm weather has slowed the bluegill bite again. Anglers have to work for them. Channel Catfish – Excellent: Catfish continue to bite. Black Crappie – Slow: Crappie fishing went from pretty good, to hard to find.

Lake Darling
A couple of mid 40’s degrees nights cooled off the water. Water temperature is down to 68 degrees. Once the fish acclimate to the cooler water, expect them to move in shallow. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use soft plastics on the shallow edge of the drop-offs.  Black Crappie – Slow: Most anglers were still catching them out in deeper water 10-12 feet).  The water needs to cool off before they come in shallow. Bluegill – Slow: Anglers are picking up some nice eating sized bluegills, but they have to work the deeper habitat fairly hard to find them.

Lake Geode
Warm water temperatures again; currently in the mid 70’s. Low 90’s forecasted for the rest of the week. Bluegill – Slow: Slow: Most have moved back to the deeper side of the drop-offs. Black Crappie – Slow.