NORTHWEST

Black Hawk Lake
Water temperatures are in the mid 60’s. Bluegill – Fair: Catch bluegill in Town Bay and near the inlet bridge. Expect shore fishing action to pick up again as water temperatures increase and bring bluegill back near shore. Walleye – Fair: Use twisters, leaches and minnows in Town Bay and from Ice House Point.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Walleye – Fair: Pick up walleye in about 8 feet of water using crawlers and crankbaits. Yellow Bass – Fair: Crankbaits and crawlers work well in about 8 feet of water.

Most water temperatures in our district are in the mid 60’s. Look for bluegill and crappie action to pick up near shore as water continues to warm. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.

Clear Lake
Surface water temperature is 66 degrees. Black Crappie – Good: Crappies are biting. Use a small jig or a minnow in the rush beds and areas with vegetation. Walleye – Good: Try a slip bobber and leeches fished in the rocky reefs. Yellow Bass – Fair: Yellows bass are moving into the shallow rocky areas to spawn. Use a small feather jig in the early morning. Channel Catfish – Fair: With recent rains, any spot where water is entering the lake is worth trying for catfish. Fish a dead chub or crawlers on the bottom. The best bite is late evening.

Crystal Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Use nightcrawlers fished from shore. Walleye – Slow. Black Bullhead – Fair: Try nightcrawlers fished from shore. Bluegill – Slow: Bluegill are biting. Use a small piece of crawler and a bobber in 2 to 3 feet of water.

Rice Lake
Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting on plastic baits. Bluegill – Fair: Use a small piece of crawler and a bobber in the edge of the vegetation.

Silver Lake (Worth)
Largemouth Bass – Good: Largemouth bass are biting on plastic baits. Bluegill – Fair: Use a small piece of crawler and a bobber in 2 to 3 feet of water.

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

Center Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Report of a very early bite from the pier; expect action to improve soon as these fish move to the inshore cover.

East Okoboji Lake
Channel Catfish – Good: Use traditional baits in the evening. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers report a panfish bite of bluegill and crappie from docks; sorting is needed. Walleye – Good: Report of anglers catching fish from the south end; best bite during the evening hours.

Five Island Lake
Channel Catfish – Good: Using traditional baits during evening hours. Walleye – Fair: Action is picking up with numbers of angler acceptable size and larger being caught.

Lost Island Lake
Walleye – Good: Walleye are being caught close to shore. Try fishing from a dock or wader fishing after dark. Black Crappie – Good: Reports of crappie and yellow perch being caught. Fish shallow water areas such as the canal. Yellow Bass – Fair: Report of yellow bass being caught. Use small lures such as a twister tail or hair jigs.

Silver Lake (Palo Alto)
Walleye – Fair: Report of large fish being caught during the late evening hours. Cast a white twister for the best action. Black Bullhead – Good: Good action reported of angler acceptable sized fish. Yellow Perch – Fair: Some activity reported.

Spirit Lake
Marble Beach campground, including the boat ramp, is closed for the season for renovation. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Use a jig tipped with a minnow in shallow rock structures. Action is best during sunny, calm days. Black Crappie – Good: Good numbers of fish continue to be harvested from the Templar Park lagoon; Buffalo Run has been “hit or miss.” Walleye – Good: Best action is during the night off the docks. Fish leeches under a bobber or cast a twister tail. Black Bullhead – Good: A good bite is reported at the north grade; fish traditional baits on the bottom

West Okoboji Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Some fish are being caught from the Triboji lagoon. Bluegill – Good: Numbers of fish are being caught from Lazy Lagoon (Triboji). Sorting is needed; persistence will result in good numbers creeled.

For more information throughout the week, contact the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery at 712-336-1840.

NORTHEAST

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Water levels continue to fall and clarity is improving. Baring more rain, water levels should stabilize. Water temperatures are in the mid 60’s. Visit the USGS Current Water Data website for current water level information. Channel Catfish – Slow: Catch catfish in the impoundments with dead chubs fished on bottom. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappie are keying into shallow rocky shorelines. Use small jigs tipped with twister tail or minnow. Bluegill – Fair.

Decorah District Streams
It’s turkey hunting season. Respect hunters and their sport. Avoid wearing red, blue and white colors. Catchable trout are stocked weekly as weather and water conditions permit. Listen to the trout stocking hotline (563-927-5736) for daily plans. Area trout stream clarity is greatly improved. Flows remain elevated. Brook Trout – Good: A variety of insects are hatching, especially on warm sunny afternoons. Match the hatch, but try not to spook a feeding fish.  Brown Trout – Good: Blue wing olive, midge, and stonefly hatches are occurring; some exceptional lately. Use blue wing olive, hendrickson, gnat, or beadhead nymph patterns and watch the water boil.  Rainbow Trout – Excellent: Try a piece of worm or small cheese chunk under a bobber in the deeper holes or floated past an undercut bank.

Lake Hendricks
Water temperatures in shallow areas in the mid 60’s. Black Crappie – Good: Use small jigs in shallow areas. Largemouth Bass – Good: Try a jerkbait or spinner retrieved slowly in shallow areas. Channel Catfish – Fair:  Use a worm or smashed minnow along a windblown shoreline. Bluegill – Fair: Try a small jig tipped with small piece of worm along the shoreline.

Lake Meyer
Anglers are out as the bite and weather improves. Bluegill – Excellent: Use a hook tipped with a worm in shallow water. Black Crappie – Excellent: Try a hook tipped with a worm or small spinner bait along a rocky shoreline. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Jigs tipped with a variety of plastics or a jerk bait catch bass; fish shallow bays for best luck. Northern Pike – Fair: Use a nightcrawler fished along the shallow weedy bays.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water clarity is much improved. Water temperatures are in the low 60’s. Water levels are falling. Flows remain up. Use care when paddling as strainers and snags may have moved. Walleye – Good: Bring an assortment of tackle to find what works best for your location and time of day. White Sucker – Excellent: Use worms fished on bottom.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water levels are falling baring additional rainfall this weekend. Clarity is much improved. Use care when paddling. Flows remain elevated. Submersed hazards increase with falling water levels. Visit the USGS Current Water Data website for  for more information. Walleye – Slow. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Use spinners around tributaries for fish 10-12 inches common up to 22 inches. Light colored jigs work best. White Sucker – Good: Worms fished off the bottom work for a hungry sucker.

Volga Lake
Anglers are enjoying the sun and dunking worms. Water temperatures are in the mid 60’s. Black Crappie – Good: Shallow, rocky, warmer areas are more productive. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use a jerkbait in shallow water with a slow retrieve. Channel Catfish – Good: Find catfish shallow in evening. Use worm or smashed minnow fished on the bottom. Bluegill – Good: Find gills along shallow rocky areas. Use small jigs tipped with a small piece of worm.

Area rivers and streams continue to improve. Spring finally arrives in northeast Iowa. Temperatures are upper 70s for highs and mid 50’s for lows. Rain potential increases late Saturday into Sunday. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Reports of anglers catching largemouth bass and bluegill. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try topwater spinner baits or sinking plastic baits. Bluegill – Fair: Use a piece of worm under a slip bobber at various depths.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
There have been a few reports of anglers catching catfish on the Cedar River, but the river remains high yet. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try dead cutbaits or stinkbait fished on the bottom.

Harold Getty Lake
Reports of anglers catching crappie. Black Crappie – Fair: Try fishing a crappie minnow under a slip bobber at various depths or cast and retrieve colored tube jigs.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
Reports of anglers catching walleye, smallmouth bass, channel catfish and even an occasional trout on the Maquoketa River in Delaware County. Walleye – Good: Cast and retrieve a jig with plastics tipped with a minnow. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Cast and retrieve a jig with plastics tipped with a minnow. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait fished on the bottom.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
No fishing reports for this week.

South Prairie Lake
Anglers are starting to catch bluegill and crappie. Bluegill – Fair: Try fishing a piece of worm under a slip bobber near vegetation. Black Crappie – Fair: Cast colored tube jigs or fish a minnow under a slip bobber 3 to 6 feet down near vegetation.

Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
No reports on the Wapsipinicon River as the river continues to stay high and muddy.

Few fishing report this past week with the variable weather. Anglers are starting to catch largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie on area lakes. Trout stream stockings continue and streams remain in good condition. 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 dropped 3 feet this week and is predicted to reach 9.5 feet next week. Water temperature is near 65 degrees. New Albin ramp road is still closed.
The Lansing Village Creek ramp and parking lot will be closed for construction starting July 5th. For more updates, call the Guttenberg Fisheries Management office at 563-252-1156. Walleye – Slow: Expect walleye to settle in on the closing dams and wing dams as the river falls and stabilizes in the next week or two. Yellow Perch – Fair: Still a few perch biting along the rocky shorelines and tailwater areas. Sauger – Slow. Northern Pike – Fair. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Expect the flatheads to be on the feed as they enter the spawning period. Fish deeper holes with a large shiner or sunfish. Channel Catfish – Good: Use a crawler fished on the bottom. Common Carp – Good: Carp are on the move with the high water. To hook into a big one, try fishing the warm shallow backwaters where carp are staging for the spawn. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Largemouth are biting on topwaters and crankbaits in warm shallow bays and marina areas out of the current. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Warm water temperatures and slowly receding flood waters will have smallmouth working the rocky shorelines. Toss inline spinners along rock points.

Mississippi River Pool 10
River level is down 3 feet at Lynxville at 21.9 feet with a steady fall to 19.5 feet expected next week.Gates remain raised at the Lock and Dam. Most boat ramps still flooded and full of mud debris. Water temperature is 63 degrees. Walleye– Slow: Expect walleye to settle in on the closing dams and wing dams as the river falls and stabilizes in the next week or two. Yellow Perch – Fair: Still a few perch biting along the rocky shorelines and tailwater areas. Northern Pike –  Fair. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Expect the flatheads to be on the feed as they enter the spawning period. Fish deeper holes with a large shiner or sunfish. Channel Catfish – Good: Use a crawler fished on the bottom. Bluegill – Good: Panfish bite is picking up this week. Try a small piece of garden worm on small tackle under a bobber. Common Carp – Good: Carp are on the move with the high water. To hook into a big one, try fishing the warm shallow backwaters where carp are staging for the spawn. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Largemouth are biting on topwaters and crankbaits in warm shallow bays and marina areas out of the current. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Warm water temperatures and slowly receding flood waters will have smallmouth working the rocky shorelines. Toss inline spinners along rock points.

Mississippi River Pool 11
River level at Guttenberg has receded several feet this week at 13.6 feet with predictions to fall to 10.5 feet late next week. The gates remain up at the Lock and Dam. Water temperature is near 60 degrees. Walleye – No Report: Expect walleye to settle in on the closing dams and wing dams as the river falls and stabilizes in the next week or two. Yellow Perch – Fair: Still a few perch biting along the rocky shorelines and tailwater areas. Northern Pike – Fair. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Expect the flatheads to be on the feed as they enter the spawning period. Fish deeper holes with a large shiner or sunfish. Channel Catfish – Good: Use a crawler fished on the bottom. Common Carp – Good: Carp are on the move with the high water. Try fishing the warm shallow backwaters where carp are staging for the spawn. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Largemouth are biting on topwaters and crankbaits in warm shallow bays and marina areas out of the current. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Warm water temperatures and slowly receding flood waters will have smallmouth working the rocky shorelines. Toss inline spinners along rock points.

The Upper Mississippi River Boat ramps are still under flood water and hard to access. Use caution at ramps as there is much mud and debris on them. Water clarity is still poor. Many shore anglers are having success along flooded shorelines this week. Water temperature is in the 60’s. 

Mississippi River Pool 12
Water levels are 14.9 feet at the Dubuque Lock and 16.6 feet at the RR Bridge. This is at minor flooding stages, but water levels are dropping fast. The channel water temperature is around 61 degrees. White Bass – Fair: Some white bass are biting on spinners. Common Carp – No Report: Conditions for bowfishing carp in shallow flooded areas look good. You can find carp and other rough fish thrashing about on hot sunny days. Channel Catfish – Fair: Catfish like flooded water. Fish worms in shallow water near shore along freshly flooded banks. Bluegill – Fair: Reports of some bluegills being reported being caught on worms in near shore flooded areas.

Mississippi River Pool 13
Water levels at Bellevue are 15.5 feet and are dropping fast. Bellevue is presently out of flood action stage. The Bellevue City ramp is available for use, but the DNR ramp is under water and full of debris. The channel water temperature is around 61 degrees. Largemouth Bass – Good: Anglers will pursue bass in the big flooded expanses of some of Pool 13’s largest backwater complexes such as Spring Lake and Browns Lake. Common Carp – Excellent: Conditions for bowfishing carp in shallow flooded areas are perfect. You can find carp and other rough fish thrashing about on hot sunny days in Green Island and Middle Sabula Lakes. Please take fish with you; don’t leave them on the bank.

Mississippi River Pool 14
Water levels are cresting 16 feet at Fulton, 17.6 feet at Camanche and 11.1  feet at LeClaire. These levels are at minor flooding action stages.The water temperature is around 63 degrees. Largemouth Bass – No Report: Fish the flooded areas in the backwaters edges. Common Carp – No Report: Conditions for bowfishing carp in shallow flooded areas look good. You can find carp and other rough fish thrashing about on hot sunny days. Channel Catfish – No Report: Fish worms near the shore as catfish feed along newly flooded shorelines.

Mississippi River Pool 15
Water levels are 16.5 feet at Rock Island, which is still at modera