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 38 degrees. Courtesy docks at Ice House boat ramp and 30-Acres boat ramp have been removed for the winter. Fishing activity has slowed with the colder weather. 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. Largemouth Bass – Fair: 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.
Little Sioux River (Linn Grove to Correctionville)
Walleye – Fair: Use live bait, creek chubs, and plastics in the deeper pools; areas below riffles, on the outside of a bend, or below the dams are good areas to target walleyes. Northern Pike – Fair: A few are being picked up with red/white spoons fished below dams and riffles.
Moorland Pond
Rainbow Trout – Fair: About 1500 rainbow trout were stocked on 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 in the upper 30’s. Fishing activity has slowed with the onset of colder weather. Walleye – Fair:Use twisters, live bait and plastics that mimic a shad. Most action has been from shore. White Bass – Fair: Use crankbaits, twisters or live bait fished from shore.
Water temperatures are around 40 degrees. Fishing activity on area lakes has slowed with the onset of colder temperatures, but walleye fishing in rivers has been fair to good. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Blue Pit
There will be an Urban Trout Stocking here on Wednesday, Nov. 22nd. 1,500 Rainbow trout will be stocked at approximately 11 a.m. You need a 2017 fishing license (age 16 and older) and trout stamp to fish for trout.
Clear Lake
The water temperature are in the low 30’s.There has been very little angling activity this week. All courtesy docks at the boat ramps have been removed for the season.
Rice Lake
Walleye – Fair. Yellow Perch – Slow:
Silver Lake (Worth)
Yellow Perch – Slow.
For information in the north central area, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
Center Lake
Black Crappie – No Report: Good numbers of fish 10 inches and larger are available for the upcoming ice fishing season. Fish the basin at dusk for the best action. Bluegill – No Report: Good numbers of angler acceptable size (6.0 – 7.9 inch) fish; persistence and patience will be rewarded with larger fish.
East Okoboji Lake
Yellow Bass – No Report: Ice anglers will continue to harvest good numbers of yellow bass during the upcoming ice season; good numbers of fish approaching 10 inches with the occasional larger fish.
Five Island Lake
Walleye – No Report: Ice anglers will harvest good numbers of angler acceptable size and larger fish. Channel Catfish – No Report: Persistent anglers will find schooled up channel catfish which will provide plenty of pole bending action during the 2017/2018 ice fishing season. Yellow Bass – No Report: Ice anglers will continue to harvest large numbers of fish during the upcoming ice season with anglers noting the increase in size of this species.
Lost Island Lake
Walleye – No Report: Ice anglers will continue to enjoy the upswing in the walleye fishery experienced during the 2017 open water season. Black Crappie – No Report: Ice anglers fishing for panfish should see an upswing to the fishery. Fish the deeper rock piles on the west side of the lake.
Mill Creek (Lake)
Black Crappie – No Report: Good numbers of large black crappie are available for the upcoming ice fishing season. Fish the north shore or the flat off the island for the best action. Bluegill – No Report: Good numbers of fish 6.0 – 8.5 inch fish are available for the upcoming ice season.
Scharnberg Pond
Rainbow Trout – No Report: Rainbow trout will be released here on Nov. 18th at noon.
Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Yellow Perch – No Report: Good numbers of fish approaching 10 inches are available for the upcoming ice fishing season. Walleye – No Report: Recent surveys show good numbers of angler acceptable size fish available for the upcoming ice fishing season.
Spirit Lake
Walleye – No Report: Ice anglers will continue to harvest good numbers of fish below the slot. Yellow Perch – No Report: Persistent ice anglers will harvest good numbers of large yellow perch during the upcoming ice season.
West Okoboji Lake
Bluegill – No Report: Ice anglers will continue to catch good numbers of fish during the upcoming ice season; fish Little Emerson and Little Millers bay when ice conditions are safe for the best early season action.
West Swan Lake S.W.M.A.
Black Crappie – No Report: Recent surveys show good numbers of crappie available for the upcoming ice season.
For more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.
NORTHEAST
Cedar River (above Nashua)
Stable water levels and clear water reported for the Cedar River. 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. Northern Pike – Good: Use dead chubs fished under a bobber or spoons.
Decorah District Streams
Brook and Brown Trout spawning season is about over. 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. Use 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.
Lake Meyer
Water temperatures are dropping and few anglers are out.
Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water levels are stable and clarity is excellent. Walleye – Good: 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.
Temperatures will range from the mid 40’s to low 20’s through the weekend. Skim ice is beginning to show up in the mornings. Area streams and rivers are in excellent condition and fishing well. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.
Brinker Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Use a live minnow about four feet below a slip bobber.
Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Largemouth Bass – Good: Cast and retrieve shallow running crankbaits.
Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
There have been good to excellent reports of anglers catching walleye, northern pike (particularly Bremer County) 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 tipped with a minnow. Northern Pike – Fair: Cast white bucktail spinner baits. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Try jigs tipped with plastics with or without live bait or spinner baits.
Harold Getty Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Try a live minnow about four feet below a slip bobber.
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
Anglers are doing well in catching trout in North Prairie Lake from the recent stocking. Rainbow Trout – Good: Cast lures or spinner baits that are flashy in color to attract a good trout bite.
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 – Fair: Try jigs tipped with plastics with or without live bait or spinner baits.
Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
Reports have been good for walleye and smallmouth bass on the Wapsipinicon River as river levels continue 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 has fallen to 8.3 feet and is expected to remain stable this week.Water clarity is excellent. Water temperature is near 38 degrees. Backwater areas are forming skim ice, but it is not safe. 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. Sauger – Fair: Sauger are biting on jig and minnows fished off the bottom in the tailwater areas and deeper side channels.
Mississippi River Pool 10
Water level at Lynxville is down almost a foot this week at 16.4 feet and is expected to remain stable. Water temperature at the Lock and Dam has dropped to 38 degrees. Backwater areas are forming skim ice, but it is not safe. 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. Sauger – Fair: Sauger are biting on jig and minnows fished off the bottom in the tailwater areas and deeper side channels.
Mississippi River Pool 11
Water level has fallen to 7.9 feet at Guttenberg tail-water with levels remaining steady this week. Water temperature has fallen to 37 degrees at the Lock and Dam with excellent water clarity. Backwater areas are forming skim ice, but it is not safe. 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. Sauger – Fair: Sauger are biting on jig and minnows fished off the bottom in the tailwater areas and deeper side channels.
Upper Mississippi River water levels are stabilizing and water clarity is excellent. Fish have moved to their overwintering areas. Fish will react to a slower presentation or switch to live bait with the water temps dipping into the upper 30’s. Ice is still not thick enough to walk on.
Mississippi River Pool 12
Water levels have dropped and are 7.6 feet at the Dubuque Lock and Dam and 10.1 feet at the RR bridge. The water will continue to recede slowly. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is near 38 degrees in the main channel. Black Crappie – Good: Fall is the best time of the year to fish crappies on the Mississippi River. Look for log piles in deeper sloughs and in backwater lakes. Walleye – Good: Most walleyes are now coming from the tailwater areas. Catch bigger fish with crankbaits. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegills are in their backwater winter homes in places away from current. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are on the wood in deeper sloughs and in backwater areas. Yellow Perch – Fair: Find yellow perch in backwater areas especially in what is left of the lily pads. Most anglers use worms. Often perch are caught by folks fishing for bluegills or crappies. Sauger – Good: Lots of tailwater angling going on. Most anglers are using some version of a weight and minnow rig to catch tailwater saugers.
Mississippi River Pool 13
Water levels receded this week and are at 8.4 feet at Bellevue Lock and Dam. The water is expected to drop slightly this upcoming week. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is 39 degrees in the main channel. Walleye – Good: Walleyes are being found in tailwater areas by anglers using crankbaits. Bluegill – Slow: Bluegills are in their backwater winter homes in places away from current. Largemouth Bass – Good: Most bass are now in backwaters away from any current. Black Crappie – Good: Backwater wood is the place for crappies. Yellow Perch – Fair: The bite in the tailwater may have finally slowed some, but most yellow perch will move to backwater locations. Sauger – Good: Anglers are using some version weight/minnow rig for best sauger catches in the tailwaters.
Mississippi River Pool 14
Water levels receded all week and will continue to drop. Gauge readings are 7.9 feet at Fulton, 11.3 feet at Camanche and 6 feet at LeClaire. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is 41 degrees in the main channel. Walleye – Good: Some nice walleyes have been reported from Pool 14 all year. Most walleyes are coming out of the tailwaters on crank baits. Bluegill – Slow: Bluegills are in their backwater homes in places like Beaver Island, Rock Creek and Cattail Slough. Black Crappie – No Report: Crappie populations look good and some should be biting in the backwater areas. 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 feet at Rock Island. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is near 41 degrees in the main channel. Walleye – No Report: Tailwater angling for walleye and sauger has started in earnest since the water levels have receded in the past weeks.
The water continues to recede and is expect water to drop a bit more this upcoming week. The water temperature has dipped to the low 40’s upper 30’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.
Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities is 8.03 feet and has been fairly steady the past few days. Sauger – Slow: Try vertical jigging with minnows or pulling three-way rigs with minnows or stickbaits in Sylvan Slough or below the dam. White Crappie – No Report: Use jigs and minnows or minnows under a bobber in the backwaters around brush piles in the Andalusia Island complex, Sunset Marina or Credit Island.
Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine is 6.57 feet and has been fairly steady. White Crappie – No Report: Use jigs and minnows or minnows under a bobber around brush piles in the backwaters at Big Timber. Walleye – Good: Some walleyes were caught below the dam at Muscatine this past weekend. Sauger – Good: Some saugers were caught below the dam this past weekend. Use jigs and minnows or pull three-way rigs with minnows or stick baits.
Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 7.70 feet at Lock and Dam 17 above New Boston and has been fairly steady. White Crappie – No Report: Use jigs and minnows or minnows under a bobber in the backwaters around brush piles. Sauger – Slow:Vertical jig with minnows or pull three-way rigs with minnows or stick baits.
Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 4.49 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and has been fairly steady the past few days. White Crappie – No Report: Use jigs and minnows or minnows under a bobber in backwaters around brush piles. Sauger – Slow: Vertical jig with minnows or pull three-way rigs with minnows or stick baits.
Tailwater stages have been fairly steady this past week. Main channel water temperature is around 40 degrees and water clarity has been good. There has been some tailwater fishing for walleyes and saugers. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.
SOUTHEAST
Coralville Reservoir
The lake level as is 686.4′, which is fall pool. Water temperatures are in the low 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.
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 – Fair: 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 low 40’s. The fish cleaning station is shut down and docks have been removed. Walleye – Fair:
