NORTHWEST
Bacon Creek Lake
Rainbow Trout – Fair: About 1500 rainbow trout averaging 11 inches were stocked on Nov. 1. Use small tube and twister jigs, in-line spinners, casting spoons, and live minnows or crawlers under a bobber.
Black Hawk Lake
Water temperatures are around 40 degrees. Courtesy docks at Ice House boat ramp and 30-Acres boat ramp have been removed for the winter. Bluegill – Fair: 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. Walleye – Fair: Use live bait fished along the Ice House Point shoreline and near the outlet in the east basin. Largemouth Bass – Good: Use topwater lures, twisters, or live bait to catch largemouth bass just about anywhere along the shoreline. Black Crappie – Fair: Try a crawler or minnow on a jig fished below a bobber off the floating fishing pier in Town Bay.
Moorland Pond
Rainbow Trout – Fair: About 1500 rainbow trout were stocked today, Nov. 2. Use small tube and twister jigs, in-line spinners, casting spoons, and live minnows or crawlers under a bobber.
Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Surface water temperatures are around 40 degrees. 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:Use twisters, live bait and plastics that mimic a shad. Most action has been from shore. Try the Chautauqua Jetty and near the inlet of the lake In the evenings. White Bass – Fair: Use crankbaits, twisters or live bait fished from shore.
Water temperatures are around 40 degrees. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Walleye – Good: Fish after dark in waders for the best bite.
Very little fishing activity. Most of the public and boat ramp docks have been removed from the lakes. Ice fishing forecast for the Spirit Lake District will be posted next week. For more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.
NORTHEAST
Cedar River (above Nashua)
The Cedar River continues to drop and water clarity is improving. Use this opportunity to get out and play before the cold weather sets in. Walleye – Good: Use a jig tipped with a long piece of worm or minnow in deeper pools and around brush piles near evening.
Decorah District Streams
Brook and Brown Trout spawning season is upon us. Walk carefully around freshly cleared areas in streams. These are trout nests or “redds”. Many streams run through wildlife management areas where hunting is allowed. Wear bright clothing when not stalking a trout. Brook Trout – Good: Vibrant colors abound on spawning fish. 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 – Excellent: With cold temperatures in the forecast and spawning fish, it’s time to change strategies. Start using patterns imitating small fish, eggs, and scuds. Small gnats, mayflies, caddisflies hatch on warmer afternoons. Rainbow Trout – Good: Drift a feathered spinner or a hook tipped with worm
along an undercut bank. Always leave gates and fences as you find them.
Lake Hendricks
Few anglers have been out. Black Crappie – Slow: Troll over rock mounds with a jig tipped with minnow or spinnerbait. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Use a spinnerbait, jerk bait or jig with a twistertail and a slow retrieve near brush piles and downed trees. Bluegill – Slow: Try a small jig tipped with a small piece of nightcrawler or spike.
Lake Meyer
Water temperatures are dropping and few anglers are out. Anglers will notice recent fish habitat improvements in the lake including spawning beds, shoreline rip-rap, and submersed concrete culverts. Few anglers are out. Bluegill – Slow: Use a small jig tipped with a spike or waxworm with a slow wiggle. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Try a spinnerbait or jerk baits and really slow the retrieve.
Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Few people have been out. Water levels continue to fall and clarity is improving. Walleye – Fair: Fin
Volga Lake
Duck season is open and hunters are on the water. All water to the campground and restroom at the boat ramp is shut off for the season. Docks will be removed this week. Black Crappie – Slow: Slowly troll along the dam. Use a jig tipped with a minnow in 10- to 12-feet of water.
Temperatures will range from the upper 30’s to upper 20’s through the weekend. Skim ice is beginning to show up in the mornings. Area streams and rivers are in excellent condition. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.
Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
There have been good to excellent reports of anglers catching walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass on the Cedar River. Target deeper pools or holes for walleye as they migrate to overwintering areas. Walleye – Good: Use jigs tipped with plastics with or without live bait. Northern Pike – Good: Cast white bucktail spinner baits. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try jigs tipped with plastics with or without live bait or spinner baits.
Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
Reports of some anglers having success catching some walleye. Water levels on the Maquoketa River remain in excellent condition. Concentrate on the deeper holes where walleye gather to overwinter. Walleye – Fair: Try jigs tipped with plastics with or without live bait.
North Prairie Lake
North Prairie Lake will be stocked with catchable trout today, November 2nd.
Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
Concentrate on the deeper holes where walleye gather to overwinter. Walleye – Good: Use jigs tipped with plastics with or without live bait. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try jigs tipped with plastics with or without live bait or spinner baits.
Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
River levels are starting to fall. Concentrate on the deeper holes where walleye gather to overwinter. Walleye – Good: Use jigs tipped with plastics with or without live bait. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try jigs tipped with plastics with or without live bait or spinner baits.
Interior river water levels remain excellent. River reports have been best for walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike. Trout streams remain in excellent condition; trout stream stockings are done for the year but streams will provide excellent trout fishing throughout the winter. Call the N.E. Iowa district office at 563-927-3276 for more information.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Mississippi River Pool 9
River level at Lansing is 8.8 feet and is expected to remain stable this week.Water clarity is excellent. Water temperature is in the upper 30’s to 40 degrees. Walleye – Slow: Try slow trolling crankbaits or jigging; walleye are moving into tailwater areas. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappies are in backwaters just off side channels with slight current. Jig a crappie minnow in the stumps and fallen tree tops. Yellow Perch – Fair: Use minnows in backwater areas and shallows with some vegetation such as marina areas. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Smallmouth are actively feeding on abundant minnows along the main channel borders. Throw silver inline spinners or minnow imitation crankbaits.
Mississippi River Pool 10
Water level is 17.2 feet at Lynxville is at and is expected to remain stable. Water temperature is 42 degrees at the lock and dam with backwater areas forming skim ice with lows in the teens at night. Walleye – Slow: Try slow trolling crankbaits or jigging; walleye are moving into tailwater areas. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappies are in backwaters just off side channels with slight current. Jig a crappie minnow in the stumps and fallen tree tops. Yellow Perch – Fair: Try minnows in backwater areas and shallows with some vegetation such as marina areas. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Smallmouth are actively feeding on abundant minnows along the main channel borders. Throw silver inline spinners or minnow imitation crankbaits.
Mississippi River Pool 11
Water level has fallen to 8.5 at Guttenberg tail-water and expected to reach 8 feet. Water temperature is 40 degrees at the Lock and Dam with excellent water clarity. Backwater areas are forming skim ice with lows in the teens at night. Walleye – Slow: Try slow trolling crankbaits or jigging; walleye are moving into tailwater areas. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappies are in backwaters just off side channels with slight current. Jig a crappie minnow in the stumps and fallen tree tops. Yellow Perch – Fair: Try minnows in backwater areas and shallows with some vegetation such as marina areas. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Smallmouth are actively feeding on abundant minnows along the main channel borders. Throw silver inline spinners or minnow imitation crankbaits.
Upper Mississippi River water levels are stabilizing and water clarity is excellent this week. Fish have moved to their overwintering areas. Try a slower presentation with the water temperatures dipping into the upper 30’s to low 40’s. Open water fishing is still happening but skim ice is beginning to form on backwaters with lows in the teens late this week.
Mississippi River Pool 12
Water levels have dropped and are 8 feet at the Dubuque Lock and Dam and 10.4 feet at the RR bridge. The water will continue to recede slowly. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is near 43 degrees in the main channel. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: A simple egg sinker and worm rig works best. White Crappie – Good: Fall is the best time to catch crappies on the Mississippi River. Look for them along log piles in deeper sloughs and backwater lakes. Walleye – Good: Use crankbaits on the inside edges of wing dams and along sandy shoals. Bluegill – Fair: Just a few scattered reports on bluegill fishing. Most anglers are doing better on yellow perch and crappie. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Throw spinners or small crankbaits around rocky areas with strong current. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are on the wood in deeper sloughs and in backwater areas. Yellow Perch – Fair: Yellow perch are being caught in backwater areas on minnows by anglers fishing for bluegills or crappies.
Mississippi River Pool 13
Water levels receded this week and are 9 feet at Bellevue Lock and Dam. The water is expected to drop slightly upcoming week. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is 44 degrees in the main channel. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Use egg sinker and worm rigs. Walleye – Good: Use crankbaits or jigs fished close to bank on sandy areas. Walleye and sauger are starting to make their way up to the tailwater areas were fishing has really picked up. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Throw crank baits or spinners near rock piles with strong current. Bluegill – Slow: Use worm rigs in log piles in larger backwater and sloughs. Largemouth Bass – Good: Some fish are on the weed edges while others are close to woody debris in the deeper sloughs. Black Crappie – Good: Fall is a great time to fish for crappies.Fishing for crappies has improved greatly. Use small minnows in the woody snags in backwater sloughs. Yellow Perch – Good: Use small minnows in the backwaters and in the tailwater.
Mississippi River Pool 14
Water levels receded all week and will continue to drop. Gauge readings are 8.3 feet at Fulton, 11.5 feet at Camanche and 6.2 feet at LeClaire. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is 44 degrees in the main channel. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass are on the wood in side channel sloughs. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Freshwater drum are biting on worm rigs. Catch drum in nearly all moderate current areas. Walleye – Good: Some nice walleyes have been reported from Pool 14 all year. Fish are tight to the bank in this higher water. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Fall fishing is excellent for smallmouth bass. Throw spinners or small crankbaits around rocky areas with strong current. Bluegill – Slow: Use worms and bobbers along vegetation lines. Changing conditions make it hard to consistently find bluegills. Black Crappie – No Report: Expect the crappie bite to pick up yet this fall. Yellow Perch – Good: A surprising number of yellow perch are found in Pool 14 recently. Some can be caught in the tailwater areas in 10 to 15 feet of water. Other perch are being caught in backwater areas by bluegill and crappie anglers.
Mississippi River Pool 15
Water levels receded all week and are 8.3 feet at Rock Island. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is near 44 degrees in the main channel. Freshwater Drum – Good: Freshwater drum bite well this time of year. Put them on ice immediately if you are going to clean them. Walleye – Good: Tailwater angling for walleye and sauger has just started in earnest since the water levels have receded in the past weeks. Smallmouth Bass – No Report: Find smallmouth along the rock lines in areas with strong currents. Even in cold water smallmouth bite in the fall can be very good.
The water continues to recede; expect water to drop a bit more this upcoming week. The water temperature has dipped down to the mid to low 40’s. Aquatic vegetation is floating in the River, so 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.
SOUTHEAST
Coralville Reservoir
The lake level as is 686.4′, which is fall pool. Water temperatures are in the low to mid 40’s.
Black Crappie – Slow: Use bright jigs or minnows along rock bluffs or over brush piles. White Crappie – Slow: Try bright jigs or minnows along rock bluffs or over brush piles. Walleye – Slow: A few fish are being caught on the rocks with crankbaits.
Diamond Lake
The dock stays in year round, but the fish cleaning station is closed. Black Crappie – Fair: Jig over/around brush piles. Most fish are 8- to 9-inches.
Iowa River (Marshalltown to Coralville Lake)
Walleye – Good: Jigs have been producing fish in Marshall and Tama Counties.
Lake Macbride
All sized motors may be operated at no-wake speed. Water temperatures this week were in the mid 40’s. The fish cleaning station is shut down and docks have been removed. Walleye – Fair: Troll crankbaits during the day, and cast them shallower towards evening. Jigs have also been working. There are a lot of 13- to 15-inch fish with some larger ones mixed in. Black Crappie – Fair: Use jigs and minnows over brush piles to catch 10- to 12-inch crappie.
Otter Creek Lake
The fish cleaning station is closed and the docks have been pulled. There has been no fishing activity on the lake this week.
Pleasant Creek Lake
The lake is still 10′ low from the restoration project. The main ramp is still useable, but very shallow. Four wheel drive vehicles are strongly recommended. There is a dock in yet. Water temperatures are in the mid 40’s. The fish cleaning station is closed. Walleye – Fair: Try jigging on the dam and over the roadbeds. Most fish are 13- to 16-inches.
Sand Lake
Rainbow Trout – Good: Worms work best.
Wapsipinicon River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)
Black Crappie – Fair: Target brush in the backwater areas. Walleye – Fair: Try jigging in deeper holes on outside river bends. Northern Pike – Slow.
For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Lake Miami
Bluegill – Fair: Use small jigs tipped with live bait around underwater structure.Try also drifting small jigs in the lower end of the lake. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use rubber worms and crankbaits around the fishing jetties and brush piles. Target structure along the shorelines.
Lake Sugema
Black Crappie – Fair: Try jigs tipped with live bait in the flooded timber or shallow areas with structure. Sorting is needed for larger fish. Walleye – Slow: Use nightcrawlers or a minnow and bobber along the dam. Bluegill – Fair: Use a small jig tipped with live bait around structure along the shorelines. Sorting is needed for larger fish. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try spinnerbaits or crankbaits along the shorelines and around the jetties. Use a rubber worm among the vegetated areas and around deep structure.
Lake Wapello
Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try crankbaits or spinnerbaits around the brush piles. Slow down the presentation as the water cools. Black Crappie – Fair: Use jigs tipped with live bait around submerged structure. Sorting may be needed for larger fish. Black Bullhead – Slow: Try nightcrawlers fished on the lake bottom in about 6 feet of water.
Ottumwa Park Pond East (Trout Pond)
Trout were stocked on Oct. 27th. Catch trout with a variety of methods including small tube jigs, small twister tails, in-line spinners, casting spoons and live bait under a bobber.
Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 903.60 msl. Normal operating elevation is 904.0 msl. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels, so make sure to properly drain, clean, and dry equipment before transporting to another water body. White Crappie – Fair: Use jigs around docks and structure. Look for fish to gather around structure. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use nightcrawlers or cut bait. Walleye – Slow: Troll crankbaits that mimic shad in areas with a variation in depths. Try also trolling nightcrawler rigs. Some fish will move shallow as the water cools, so try some of these areas.
Red Haw Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Use small jigs tipped with a chunk of nightcrawler along the shoreline and around structure. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try rubber worms or spinnerbaits in areas with rip rap or other types of structure. Try shallow areas as the water continues to cool down and slow down the presentation. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use nightcrawlers or chicken liver around the fishing jetties.
Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 w
