NORTHWEST

Black Hawk Lake
Water temperature is in the low 70’s. Lake level is about 9 inches below the crest of the spillway. Water clarity is about one foot. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers are picking up some 8- to 10-inch fish in and around the fish house shelter on Ice House Point. Bluegill – Slow. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom in areas along shore or near the rock pile off Cottonwood Point. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use traditional bass lures fished along shore in areas with rocks, fallen trees or docks. Ice House Point shoreline near the outlet and near the inlet bridge are good areas to target bass. Walleye – Slow: Try along the dredge shelf in front of Denison Beach or the rock pile off of Cottonwood Point.

Brushy Creek Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Try a small jig tipped with a small minnow in 15 feet of water near woody structure. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use weedless lures along vegetation edges and traditional bass lures along areas with woody structure. Yellow Perch– Fair: Try a small jig tipped with a crawler or minnow in 10-15 feet of water. 

Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake)
Water clarity is roughly 1-2 feet. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom in areas along shore with rocks or near the dredge cuts if fishing by boat. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Cast lures along shore and docks.  Many areas near shore have only sparse vegetation patches with plenty of casting opportunities. Use weedless lures if fishing in areas with heavier vegetation. Walleye – Fair: Pick up fish along the dredge cuts with crankbaits or bottom bouncers.  Use planer boards to pull crawler harnesses just above the weedlines.  Try jigging or slip bobber fishing in the deep areas of the dredge cuts where many areas are free of vegetation. Shore fishing for walleyes should improve as water temperatures cool.

Water temperatures in most lakes are in the lower 70’s. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.

Beeds Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Drift fish or troll a small minnow or tube jig. Largemouth Bass – Fair. Yellow Bass – Fair: Drift fish or troll a small minnow or tube jig.

Clear Lake
Water temperature is in the low 70’s. The lake is 3.36 inches low. Water clarity is 23 inches. Black Crappie – Fair. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait or chicken liver on the wind swept shore after sunset. Walleye – Slow: Use a jig tipped with a minnow or crawler fished near vegetation along the north shore. Also try slip bobber fishing a minnow on the rock reefs. Yellow Bass – Good: Use a small jig tipped with a minnow or cut bait fished in 5 to 6 feet of water along the high bank on the north shore or out from the pump house. Use your electronics to find and stay on fish.

Rice Lake
Any water west of the north boat ramp is a waterfowl refuge and is closed to all activity from Sept. 1st through the final day of the duck season.  Bluegill – Fair. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting on a variety of baits. Walleye – Slow. Yellow Perch – Fair: Use a jig and minnow in the deeper water along the homes on the south shore.

Silver Lake (Worth)
The vegetation has open up some. Bluegill – Fair: Try a small piece of crawler under a bobber fished along the edge of the vegetation. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting on a variety of baits. Yellow Perch – Slow.

Upper Pine Lake
The boat ramp at Upper Pine Lake is closed until the new ramp is installed.

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

East Okoboji Lake
The water temperature is 69 degrees. Many anglers have had success with slip bobbers/spoons and vertical jigging and drop shot fishing. A great bluegill/crappie/yellow bass bite can be found trolling weed lines. Many anglers have observed high catch rates with a lot of sorting. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappie are hard to target specifically, but can be caught mixed with other panfish. The bite has improved in and around docks and hoists. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are biting like crazy. Leeches or worms and a simple bobber setup work well. Pumpkinseed – Good: Fun and easier to catch from most docks. Use a small hook, bobber and piece of worm.

Lost Island Lake
Anglers report they have started to catch yellow bass in shallow amongst the vegetation. Black Crappie – Fair. Bluegill – Fair. Walleye – Fair. Yellow Bass – Fair. Yellow Perch – Fair.

Minnewashta Lake
Panfishing has been good for anglers trolling weed lines. Vertical jigging is improving. Black Crappie – Fair: A nice crappie bite can be found with a little movement around the lake. Bluegill – Fair. Pumpkinseed – Good.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Walleye – Fair: Try using slip bobbers and finding weed lines.

Spirit Lake
The water temperature is 69 degrees. The yellow perch bite has been slower, but the walleye bite has picked up. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Walleye – Good: Bite is hit-or-miss at dusk, but the day bite is improving. Many anglers have started to fish in shallower with slip bobbers along weed edges. Yellow Perch – Fair: Best bite is morning till 11:00 and mid-afternoon. Depths vary depending on the time of day. Move often to find fish – schools are smaller and sporadic.

West Okoboji Lake
The water temperature is 68 degrees. Many anglers have been most successful with trolling, but jigging and casting has also been very good. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Offshore fishing for bass has been great. Black Crappie – Good: Crappie have been very picky lately, but can be easily caught if you aren’t afraid to switch things up. Can also be caught frequently while picking through other panfish or have been found around weed edges. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are biting like crazy with fish up to 10-inches seen. Jigging, casting, and slip bobbers work well. Try leeches or worms and a simple bobber setup. Walleye – Fair: Walleye have been hard to target, but many anglers have been catching them while fishing for other species.

Offshore fishing for bass has been very good lately. The panfish/perch bite has been excellent. Area lake levels are low, making launching and loading boats more difficult. The forecast calls for highs in the 70’s and 80’s, but lows in the 50’s at night. Lake temperatures have been slowly cooling down and are below 70 degrees at night. For current conditions, call the Spirit Lake District Office at 712-336-1840.

NORTHEAST

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Water levels dropped significantly and are stabilizing. Use caution when boating; submerged hazards may have moved. Clarity is improving, but is stained brown. Visit the USGS Current Water Conditions website for more information. Channel Catfish – Good: Try cut baits and crawlers fished near bottom in back eddies or calm areas. Smallmouth Bass – Good. Walleye – Good: Walleye angling from shore or by boat to find holes and brush piles works best.

Decorah District Streams
Clarity is good to excellent on most streams. Stream flows are up, but still fishable. All stream stockings are occurring with the return of cooler temperatures. All stockings are unannounced through the remainder of the season. Brook Trout – Good: Hoppers, beetles and anything that looks buggy work well this time of year. Be respectful of private property open to fishing; pick up trash. Brown Trout – Good: Off-color water is a great time to catch a brownie. Try along grassed edges, undercut banks and around boulders. Rainbow Trout – Excellent: Use hair jigs, spinnerbaits or small shallow water crankbaits for aggressive fish. Thank a landowner for allowing access on private land.

Lake Hendricks
Water clarity is improving with cooler temperatures. Black Crappie – Good: Try a small spinnerbait fished mid-depth. Bluegill – Good: Use a small hook tipped with a small piece of worm under a bobber fished near rocks. Channel Catfish – Good: Try chicken liver, worms  or cut baits. Nice fish are available for the taking. Largemouth Bass – Good: Find bass suspended around rocky structures or along vegetated edges. Use a weedless hook or topwater lure.

Lake Meyer
Water clarity is excellent. Aquatic vegetation is very thick, but is starting to die back. Black Crappie – Good. Bluegill – Good: Try fishing shallow over vegetation with a slow retrieve. Channel Catfish – Good: Use bait or worms fished on the bottom around stumps or other woody structure.  Largemouth Bass – Good: Try jigs tipped with a twister tail or spinnerbait fished over vegetation.

Turkey River (above Clermont)
Water levels are stabilizing and clearing; flows remain high. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Find smallies in deeper pools around rocky seams and eddies. Walleye – Good: Try fishing slack water and eddies.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water levels are stabilizing with elevated flows. Use caution when paddling; submersed hazards may have moved. Check out the USGS Current Water Conditions website for more information. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Try spinnerbaits or jigs tipped with plastics along rock ledges, seams and eddies. Walleye – Off channel eddies and log jams hold fish. Try using a crawler for success. 

Volga Lake
Clarity is improving with cooler temperatures. Black Crappie– Fair: Crappies are moving near shore in the evening to feed. Use a jig tipped with a twister tail or spinnerbait. Bluegill – Good: Find gills near shore in the morning. Use small jigs tipped with twister tails. Channel Catfish – Excellent: Trophy catfish are plentiful. Find fish cruising the shallows in the evening. Use cut baits and worms fished on the bottom. Largemouth Bass – Good.

Great fishing weather this weekend. Storms are possible Friday with temperatures in the low 80’s to 60’s. Area river levels are falling slowly and clear due to minimal rainfall. Water temperature for most waterbodies is in the mid-60’s. For current fishing information, please call the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Anglers are catching largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish. Bluegill – Fair: Cast a small piece of crawler under a slip bobber. Adjust your bobber at various depths to find fish. Channel Catfish – Good: Best bite is mornings and evenings. Try stink baits, cut baits or leopard frogs on the bottom. Largemouth Bass – Good: Cast topwater baits or crankbaits.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Anglers are catching crappie in the backwater areas and walleye in the main channel. Black Crappie – Good: Try a minnow under a slip bobber near brush piles or structure. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Cast and retrieve a jig tipped with a crawler or artificial crankbaits. Walleye – Fair: Cast and retrieve a jug tipped with a crawler or artificial crankbaits.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
Anglers are catching smallmouth bass on the Maquoketa River. Smallmouth Bass -Good: Cast crankbaits, spinnerbaits or topwater baits.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
There have been no reports for the Shell Rock River this past week.

Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
Reports of anglers catching smallmouth bass and a few walleyes on the Wapsipinicon River. Recent survey reports show quality-size bass with a few over 19-inches. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Cast spinnerbaits or crankbaits. Walleye – Fair: Cast and retrieve a jug tipped with a crawler or artificial crankbaits.

Interior rivers are dropping and clearing up from recent rainfall. Reports of anglers catching crappie, walleye and smallmouth bass on the backwater and main channel areas. Lakes around Black Hawk County are providing catches of largemouth bass. Call or stop into your local bait shops for local fishing information. Call the Manchester Hatchery at 563-927-3276 for more information.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Mississippi River Pool 9
Lansing water level is 7.9 feet and is stable. Water clarity is improving. Water temperature is 70 degrees. Expect the bite to improve with cooling water temperatures. Notice: Dredging will begin at Village Creek after September 15th. Two lanes will remain open for use. Boaters are urged to use caution around dredge equipment. Alternate ramps are Big Slough and Winneshiek Landing on the Wisconsin side. Boaters should also avoid using Heytman’s Landing due to shallow conditions. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappie are seeking deep water. Try a crappie minnow under a bobber fished in areas with moderate to slow current of side channels. Bluegill – Good: Try a small piece of worm under a bobber fished in areas with some current. Channel Catfish – Good: Use stink bait fished in areas of moderate current in side channels. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Lots of trot lines for flatheads. Make sure you place the trot line on bank and have your name and address clearly visible. Freshwater Drum – Good: Drum fishing is picking up in the main channel areas; use a crawler fished off the bottom. Largemouth Bass – Good: Cast plastics along the weedlines of deep cuts in backwaters or fish the edge of side channels with slight current. Northern Pike – Slow: Try a spoon with steel leader fished near cold water springs or incoming tributary streams. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Use spinners or crankbaits fished in main channel rock piles along the tips of islands. Walleye – Fair: Find walleye on the wing dams. Troll crankbaits along structure in side channel and main channel current breaks. Worm rigs work best. Yellow Perch – Good: Jig a minnow or piece of worm in areas of vegetation. Larger yellow perch are starting to bite as we get closer to Fall.

Mississippi River Pool 10
Lynxville water level is 612.8 feet and is expected to remain stable. Water clarity is improving. Water temperature is 72 degrees at the Lynxville dam. Boaters are urged to use caution to avoid backing off the end of ramps. The bite is picking up with cooler water temperatures. Black Crappie – Fair: Some nice crappie reported this week. Try fishing in areas with moderate to slow current amongst the trees in backwaters. Bluegill – Good: Panfish have moved to areas with some current. Use a small piece of worm under a bobber. Bluegills have been running a bit smaller lately. Channel Catfish – Good: Try stink baits in areas of moderate currents.  Move often if you are not catching cats. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Lots of trot lines for flatheads. Make sure you place the trot line on bank and have your name and address clearly visible.  Freshwater Drum – Good: Drum fishing is picking up in the main channel areas; use a crawler fished off the bottom. Largemouth Bass – Good: Cast plastics along the weedlines of deep cuts in backwaters or fish the edge of side channels with slight current. Northern Pike – Fair: Try a spoon with steel leader fished near cold water springs or incoming tributary streams.  Smallmouth Bass – Good: Use spinners or crankbaits fished in main channel rock piles along the tips of islands. Walleye – Fair: Find walleye on the wing dams. Troll crankbaits along structure in side channel and main channel current breaks. Yellow Perch – Good: Jig a minnow or piece of worm in areas of vegetation. Larger yellow perch are starting to bite as we get closer to Fall.

Mississippi River Pool 11
Water level is 4.7 feet at Guttenberg and is expected to gradually recede next week. Water temperature is 66 degrees at the Guttenberg dam. Boaters are urged to use caution to avoid backing off the end of ramps. The bite is picking up with cooler water temperatures.  Black Crappie – Fair: Crappie are seeking deep water. Try a crappie minnow under a bobber fished in areas with moderate to slow current of side channels. Bluegill – Good: Panfish have moved to areas with some current. Use a small piece of worm under a bobber. Channel Catfish – Good: Try stink bait in areas of moderate current. Move often if you are not catching any fish. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Lots of trot lines for flatheads. Make sure you place the trot line on bank and have your name and address clearly visible. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Drum fishing is picking up in the main channel areas; use a crawler fished off the bottom. Largemouth Bass – Good: Cast plastics along the weedlines of deep cuts in backwaters or fish edge of side channels with slight current. Northern Pike – Fair: Try a spoon with steel leader near cold water springs or incoming tributary streams. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Use spinners or crankbaits fished in main channel rock piles along the tips of islands. Walleye – Fair: Find walleye on the wing dams. Troll crankbaits along structure in side channel and main channel current breaks. Yellow Perch – Good: Jig a minnow or piece of worm in areas of vegetation. Larger yellow perch are starting to bite as we get closer to Fall.

Upper Mississippi River levels are again extremely low. Check boat ramp conditions before you go. Water temperatures have dropped into the 70’s. Walleye slot length limits now apply on the entire Iowa border of the Mississippi River. All walleyes less than 15 inches long and between 20-27 inches must be immediately released. One walleye over 27 inches may be kept.  Combined walleye/sauger daily limit 6/possession 12.

Mississippi River Pool 12
The water level is steady. Water levels are 4.9 feet at the Lock and Dam and 7.5 feet at the RR bridge. Water clarity is good. Water temperature is around 71 degrees. At these low river levels, use caution to avoid backing off the ends of the boat ramps. Use the minimum water as necessary to launch boats. Black Crappie – Good: It has been a good year for crappie fishing. With the low water, crappie moved in the deeper sloughs and brush piles. Use small jig and minnow. Bluegill – Good: Find bluegills along the channel border areas, especially in eddies behind wing dams or brush piles. Channel Catfish – Excellent: Some anglers are just using worms while other are using stink bait. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Some anglers are targeting flatheads at night, mainly using live green sunfish as bait. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Drum are on the bite. Use an egg sinker and worm rig in moderate current areas; areas around boat launches can be productive. You will catch a lot of other species as well on an egg sinker rig. Use large crayfish for bait to catch large drum. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass are feeding heavily on shad. Expect angling to continue to improve as we move toward the fall season. Northern Pike – Fair: Cast gaudy spinnerbaits near the mouths of cooler water streams; pike will seek out cooler water. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Look for smallies along rocky habitat with strong current flow. Crankbaits and spinners work best. Walleye – Good: Try crankbaits on the wing dams or three way rigs with a small nightcrawler.

Mississippi River Pool 13
The water level is near 4.7 feet at the Bellevue Lock and Dam and is steady. Water temperature is near 72 degrees in the main channel. Water clarity is good. At these low river levels, use caution to avoid backing off the ends of the boat ramps. Use the minimum water as necessary to launch boats. Black Crappie – Good: Use a small jig and minnow.  Crappie fishing has been fairly good this year as fish have been concentrated due to the low water levels. Bluegill – Good: The best bluegill fishing is in the tailwater or eddy currents near shore by wing dams with a simple bobber and worm. Channel Catfish – Good: Most anglers are using stick bait, but bigger fish might be caught on cut shad bait. Flathead Catfish – Fair: Anglers are targeting flathead catfish mainly using live green sunfish for bait. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Drum are still on the bite.  Use an egg sinker and worm rig in moderate current areas or areas around boat launches. You will catch a lot of other species as well on an egg sinker rig.  Use large crayfish for bait to catch large drum. Largemouth Bass – Good: Find bass chasing small shad. Expect bass fishing to keep improving as we move into the fall season. Northern Pike – Fair: Cast gaudy spinnerbaits near the mouths of cooler water streams. Spring areas like Lainsville Slough or along the sand dunes area can cool water enough for northern pike. Paddlefish – No Report: Paddlefish season is closed for the year. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Look for smallies along rocky habitat with strong current flow. Crankbaits and spinners work best.  Walleye – Good: Use crankbaits on the wing dams or a three way rig with a night crawler. White Bass – Good: Find white bass in the tailwaters using flashy spinners or small spoons.

Mississippi River Pool 14
The water level at the Fulton Lock and Dam is steady and is 5.0 feet, 9.8 feet at Camanche and 4.6 feet at Le Claire. Water temperature is around 73 degrees in the main channel. Water clarity is good.  At these low river levels, use caution to avoid backing off the ends of the boat ramps. Use the minimum water as necessary to launch boats. Bluegill – Good: Bluegills have moved to the main channel border areas with some current flow. Channel Catfish – Good: Use stink bait or cut shad. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Drum are still on the bite.  Use an egg sinker and worm rig in moderate current areas or areas around boat launches. You will catch a lot of other species as well on an egg sinker rig.  Use large crayfish for bait to catch large drum. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass are feeding heavily on shad.  Use shad colored crankbaits along channel border rocks and brush piles. Northern Pike –  Fair: Cast gaudy spinnerbaits near the mouths of cooler water streams; pike will seek out cooler water when the river temperatures get this hot. Paddlefish – No Report: The paddlefish season is closed for the year. Smallmouth Bass – Look for smallies along rocky habitat with strong current flow. Crankbaits and spinners work best. Walleye – Good: Use a crankbait or worm rig on the wing dams. White Bass – No Report: Look for schools of feeding white bass in sandy areas and in the tailwater. Spinners and white jigs work best.  White Crappie – Good: Some black and white crappies are being taken near tree snags in deeper moderate flowing sloughs; use a small jig and minnow.  Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – No Report: Hybrids should start feeding again now that the water is starting to clean up.

Mississippi River Pool 15
The water level is 5.3 feet at Rock Island and is steady. The water temperature is near 73 degrees. Water clarity is good.  At these low river levels, use caution to avoid backing off the ends of the boat ramps. Use the minimum water as necessary to launch boats. Channel Catfish – Good: Use stink bait or cut shad near brush piles or along rock lines. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Drum are still on the bite.  Use an egg sinker and worm rig in moderate current areas or areas around boat launches. Use large crayfish for bait to catch large drum. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Look for smallies along rocky habitat with strong current flow. Crankbaits and spinners work best. White Bass – Fair: Look for schools of white bass feeding in the tailwaters or along sandy beaches. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – No Report: Try shiny spoons or spinners fished in the tailwater pocket for this hard fighting fish.

Water temperature is in the  low 70’s, which is uncommonly warm for this time of year. The water is low and clear. use caution to avoid backing off the ends of ramps. If you have angling questions please call the Bellevue Fisheries Station at 563-880-8781.

Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage is 5.30 feet at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities and is forecast to stay fairly steady over the next few days. Channel Catfish – No Report: Look for channel catfish around snags and brush piles along the main channel or side channels. Use crawlers or stink baits. Some channel catfish can also be caught fishing above the wing dams. Walleye – No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing dams. Try trolling three-way rigs with crawlers or casting or trolling crankbaits. White Bass – No Report: Look for white bass around current seams chasing minnows. Cast jigs and twisters or inline spinners. White Crappie – No Report: Look for crappies around brush piles in the back water and side channels. Try minnows under a bobber or jigs and plastics.

Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage is 4.26 feet at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine. Tailwater stage is forecast to slowly fall over the weekend. Bluegill – No Report: Look for bluegills in the backwaters around brush piles. Use pieces of worm under a bobber. Channel Catfish – No Report: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels; use dip baits or crawlers. Some channel catfish can also be caught fishing the wing dams. Walleye – No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing dams. Try trolling three-way rigs with crawlers or casting or trolling crankbaits. White Crappie – Slow: Look for crappies around brush piles in the backwaters and side channels. Use minnows under a bobber or jigs and plastics in Big Timber and Cleveland Slough.

Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 4.49 feet at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston. Tailwater stage has been fairly steady the past few days. Channel Catfish – No Report: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Try stink bait or crawlers. Walleye – No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing dams. Try trolling three-way rigs with crawlers or casting or trolling crankbaits.  White Crappie – No Report: Look for crappies in the backwaters and side channels around brush piles. Try minnows under a bobber or jigs and plastics.

Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 2.16 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and is slowly falling. Channel Catfish – No Report: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Use stink bait or crawlers. White Crappie – No Report: Look for crappies around brush piles in the backwaters and side channels. Try minnows under a bobber or jigs and plastics.

Tailwater stages are forecast to slowly fall over the weekend. Main channel water temperature is around 75 degrees. Water clarity is fair. Use caution when boating on the river due to low water conditions. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19 contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.

SOUTHEAST

Big Hollow Lake
Water temperature is near 80 degrees. Algae and duckweed starting to thin out a little with the approaching fall season.  Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are not in real shallow, but you can find them out in 4 to 5 feet of water. Channel Catfish – Fair: Catfish should soon be looking to start their fall feeding rush. Largemouth Bass – Good: The water warmed back up some, but not enough to slow the bass fishing back down. With plenty of steep banks, it’s not hard to find the edges of the deep water habitat.

Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River)
The Iowa River is still up a bit with a little faster than normal flow. Channel Catfish – Good: Look for the catfish in the deeper holes and brush piles as the water levels continue to drop back down.

Lake Belva Deer
Water temperature is in the upper 70’s. Water clarity is around 24 inches due to some heavy rains early last week. Bluegill – Good: Bluegills are trying to head to shallow water, but are hung up at 4-6 feet depths. Channel Catfish – Fair: It’s about time for catfish to fatten up for the fall and winter. Try chicken liver and cut bait in above 8 feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass fishing is starting to pick back up. They are moving in to mid-depth ( 5-6 feet of water) with an occasional trip into shallower water.

Lake Darling
Water temperature is back into the upper 70’s. A hot weather weekend as forecast will take it back into the low 80’s. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill fishing continues to pick up, but they don’t want to leave the rock piles. Channel Catfish – Good: Catfishing picked up a little bit last week. They are still in the culvert piles near shore.  Use chicken liver. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass fishing is picking up as they start working the shoreline rip-rap looking for small green sunfish and crawdads. The bite picks up after 5 p.m. They are in deep water during the rest of the day.

Lost Grove Lake
Water temperature is in the upper 70’s. The water is still pretty green. The thermocline is set up at 6-8 feet; concentrate your efforts in this zone. Evening bite is best. Bluegill – Good: : Bluegill fishing continues to be decent; best bite is very early or late in the day. Channel Catfish – Fair: Slow troll cut bait along the face of the dam and out around the deeper brush piles in 6 to 8 feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Good: Best bite is just before dark or just after. Spinnerbaits or jigs and trailer work best.

Skunk River (Coppock to Mississippi River)
The Skunk River  is back down to it’s season low level again with the dry weather.  Canoes are going dragging again. Channel Catfish – Fair: Catfish are back to hiding in the deep water pocket.

Wapsipinicon River (Oxford Junction to Mississippi River)
Water level is taking a long time to get back to the level before all the rain. It is only about a foot higher right now.

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