NORTHWEST

Black Hawk Lake
Surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-60s. Water levels are about 12 inches below the crest of the spillway. Expect shore fishing action to pick up as water temperatures gradually cool. Black Crappie – Fair: Fish are 8- to 11-inches. Panfish action has picked up with the cooler water temperatures. Try along Ice House Point and around the fish house and stone piers in Town Bay. Bluegill – Slow: Find bluegills along shore near Ice House Point and the rock pile by Gunshot Hill. Fish are 6- to 7-inches. Largemouth Bass – Fair. Walleye – Fair: Anglers are starting to pick up more walleye from shore as water temperatures cool. Throw twisters or crankbaits. or fish crawlers or leeches under a bobber. Yellow Perch – Fair.

Browns Lake
Water levels remain low; use caution when launching boats.

Brushy Creek Lake
Water temperatures are in the mid-60s. Water clarity is about 3 feet. Water levels are below the crest of the spillway. Black Crappie – Fair: Find crappie near submerged woody structure in 5-10 feet of water. Use a small jig tipped with a crawler or small minnow. Bluegill – Fair: Drift jigs tipped with crawlers in 5-15 feet of water anywhere along weed lines or near submerged trees. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try plastics and traditional bass lures along submerged woody structure and weed lines near shore.

Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake)
All walleye between 19 and 25-inches must be immediately released unharmed at Storm Lake; no more than one walleye longer than 25-inches can be taken per day. Black Crappie – Fair. Channel Catfish – Fair: Storm Lake has a good population of 4-6 pound catfish. Try cut bait, liver or crawlers fished on the bottom along shore. Walleye – Fair: Try crankbaits, crawler harnesses and drifting leeches mid-lake near the dredge cuts. With cooling water temperatures, try along shore with live bait or crankbaits in mornings or evenings. Yellow Bass – Fair: Fish are 5- to 11-inches long.  Use a small piece of crawler fished under a bobber.

Surface water temperatures are in the low 60s in most area lakes. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.

Beeds Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Troll or drift small crappie jigs along to north shore. Largemouth Bass – Fair.  Yellow Bass – Fair.

Clear Lake
The lake is 7.5 inches below crest. Water temperature is in the low 60s. Water clarity is about 35 inches. Clear Lake has a protected slot on walleye. All walleye between 17 and 22 inches must be immediately released unharmed. No more than one walleye longer than 22 inches may be taken per day. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try jigs and spinnerbaits near the vegetation edge. Muskellunge – Fair: Cast baits near docks vegetation beds and reef areas. Walleye – Fair: Use jigs and live bait near vegetation. Shore anglers should fish lighted docks after sunset. Yellow Bass – Fair: Try small jigs tipped with cut bait or a crawler. Yellow Perch – Slow.

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. Largemouth Bass – Fair:  Yellow Perch – Slow:

Silver Lake (Worth)
Bluegill – Good: Catch nice-sized bluegill with small jigs. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use spinnerbaits and jigs fished near vegetation. Yellow Perch – Fair: Try small jigs tipped with a piece of crawler near vegetation.

Winnebago River
Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try a jig in the deeper holes and near woody habitat. Walleye – Fair.

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

NORTHEAST

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Water levels are very, low limiting some boat accesses. Channel Catfish – Slow: Dead chubs fished on the river bottom work well for a hungry catfish. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try artificial lures or a lure tipped with a minnow around rocky outcroppings or ledges.  Walleye – Good: Use jig tipped with a minnow or worm near the bottom of deeper holes at dawn and dusk.

Decorah District Streams
All trout stream stockings are unannounced; streams are stocked through the end of October. Streams are in good condition. Hunting seasons are in full swing. Be visible to hunters. Anglers fishing for trout using any kind of light weight rods and reels with spinnerbaits or a hook tipped with a small piece of crawler, cheese, or dough can be just as successful as fly anglers. Brook Trout – Good: Hoppers, beetles or anything else buggy work well this time of year. Please pick up trash. Brown Trout – Good: Use hair jigs, spinnerbaits or small, shallow water crankbaits for aggressive fish. Mayflies caddis and gnats are hatching on sunny days. Rainbow Trout – Excellent: Try fishing along grassed edges, undercut banks, pools and around boulders. Thank a landowner for allowing stream access on private land.

Lake Hendricks
The green algae bloom continues. Clarity is less than a foot. Water temperature is in the low 60s. Black Crappie – Good: Use a small minnow or lure in deeper water. Bluegill – Good: Find gills along rocky shorelines. Use a small piece of worm fished under a bobber near shore. Largemouth Bass – Fair:  Use plastics and topwater lures for best luck fished near shore.

Lake Meyer
Water clarity less than 2 feet. Water temperature is in the low 60s. The water has a brownish tint. Black Crappie – Slow: Find crappie suspended in 10-13 feet of water. Use a jig tipped with a minnow. Bluegill – Good: Find bluegills along rocky shorelines in water less than 5 feet. Try a small jig tipped with a small piece of worm. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Find bass in shallow water. Use topwater lures or a jig tipped with a plastic tail.

Turkey River (above Clermont)
Water levels are low, but clear. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try topwater lures or jig tipped with a variety of plastic tails. Run your lure along vegetated edges or woody debris. Walleye – Good: Find walleye in deeper pools or eddies. Use live bait for best luck.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah) 
Water levels are low, but clear. Water temperatures are in the low 60s. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Find smallies in eddies or near rock ledges. Use crankbaits or jigs. Fish are active. Walleye – Good: Find walleye in deeper pools or near log jams or other woody debris.

Volga Lake
Water clarity is less than 2 feet due to a continuing algae bloom. Water temperature is in the low 60s. Black Crappie – Good: Use minnows or small jigs in 5 to 8 feet of water. Bluegill – Good: Find gills along rocky shoreline. Use a small jig tipped with small piece of worm under a bobber. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use a dead chub, worm or squished minnow fished on the bottom in 10 feet or less of water near stumps or other woody structure. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try crankbaits or jigs with plastic tails.

Temperatures are in the upper 50s to upper 30s. Rivers and streams are in good condition with good clarity; many are low, creating difficulties for boat access. For current fishing information, please call the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers are catching some crappie on the river. Find brush piles with a crappie minnow under a slip bobber. Channel Catfish – Fair: Channel catfish have slowed on the river. Try livers and/or stink baits. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Cast a jig with half a nightcrawler near current breaks, eddies and rocky shorelines. Northern Pike – Good: Most catches of pike have been incidental while fishing for walleye. Cast spinnerbaits or a jig and crawler rig. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Smallmouth bite has slowed. Cast crankbaits or jig and crawler rigs near rocky or rip-rap shorelines. Walleye – Good: Try a jig and crawler or cast crankbaits.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
Channel Catfish – Fair: Channel catfish have slowed on the river. Try livers and/or stink baits. Northern Pike – Good: Most catches of pike have been incidental while fishing for walleye. Cast spinnerbaits or a jig and crawler rig. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Smallmouth bite has slowed. Cast crankbaits or jig and crawler rigs near rocky or rip-rap shorelines. Walleye – Good: Try a jig and crawler or cast crankbaits.

Silver Lake (Delaware)
Bluegill – Excellent: Try a worm under a slip bobber near structure at various depths. Channel Catfish – Excellent: Throughout the day catfish are hitting on almost anything; try leopard frogs, livers and stink baits. Largemouth Bass – Good: Cast spinnerbaits, crankbaits or plastics off the bottom in and around the jetties and dam.

Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
Northern Pike – Good: Most catches of pike have been incidental while fishing for walleye. Cast spinnerbaits or a jig and crawler rig. Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Smallmouth bite has slowed. Cast crankbaits or jig and crawler rigs near rocky or rip-rap shorelines. Walleye – Good: Try a jig and crawler or cast crankbaits.

Interior rivers remain low and are in excellent condition for angling opportunities. Walleye and pike have been the best bite; only fair on smallmouth bass and channel catfish. The lakes in and around Black Hawk County have been slow. Trout streams are in excellent condition. Contact your local area bait shops for the most recent hot spots. For more information, contact the Manchester Hatchery at 563-927-3276.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Mississippi River Pool 9
Water level is stable at near 8 feet at Lansing and is expected to remain steady this week. Water temperature is 62 degrees. Fish are biting to prepare for winter. Live minnows work well on a variety of species. Black Crappie – Good: Catch bigger crappie on crappie minnows and hair jigs. Bluegill – Good: Use light tackle tipped with piece of worm in areas away from current along the weed edges in backwaters. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait fished in deeper holes along current breaks of side channels. Flathead Catfish – Good: Try a shiner or small bluegill for bait to catch bigger catfish. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Freshwater drum bite is coming on. Use a weighted crawler rig in the current anywhere from shore. Largemouth Bass – Good: Cast jigs or jerk baits in woody cover in the shallows of backwaters. Northern Pike – Fair: Cast crankbaits off vegetation lines or near the mouth of tributary streams. Sauger – Fair: Sauger are starting to bite as water temperatures cool. Try vertical jigging with a minnow in side channels and near lock and dam tailwaters. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Smallmouth are getting more active along main channel rock structure. Cast inline spinners or crankbaits along the faster current. Walleye – Good: Troll crankbaits off the wing-dams and side channels. White Bass – Fair: Watch for schools of white bass chasing minnows out of the water. Cast spinnerbaits or shad colored crankbaits for feeding white bass. Yellow Perch – Good: Use a jig and minnow fished in the backwaters.

Mississippi River Pool 10
Water level is stable 612.7 feet at Lynxville. Water temperature is 65 degrees at the Lynxville dam. Water clarity is good. The bite has picked up as fish are feeding to prepare for winter. Live minnows work well on a variety of species. Black Crappie – Good: Catch bigger crappie on crappie minnows and hair jigs. Bluegill – Excellent: Use light tackle tipped with piece of worm in areas away from current along the weed edges in backwaters. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait fished in deeper holes along current breaks of side channels. Flathead Catfish – Good:  Try a shiner or small bluegill for bait to catch bigger catfish. Freshwater Drum – Good: Freshwater drum bite is coming on. Use a weighted crawler rig in the current anywhere from shore. Largemouth Bass – Good: Cast jigs or jerk baits in woody cover in the shallows of backwaters. Northern Pike –  Fair: Cast crankbaits off vegetation lines or near the mouth of tributary streams. Sauger – Fair: Sauger are starting to bite as water temperatures cool. Try vertical jigging with a minnow in side channels and near lock and dam tailwaters. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Smallmouth are getting more active along main channel rock structure. Cast inline spinners or crankbaits along the faster current.  Walleye – Good: Troll crankbaits off the wing-dams and side channels. White Bass – Fair: Watch for schools of white bass chasing minnows out of the water. Cast spinnerbaits or shad colored crankbaits for feeding white bass. Yellow Perch – Good: Use a jig and minnow fished in the backwaters.

Mississippi River Pool 11
Water level is low and stable around 4.6 feet at Guttenberg. Water temperature is near 60 degrees. Fish are on the early fall feed. Live minnows work well on a variety of species. Black Crappie – Fair: Catch bigger crappie on crappie minnows and hair jigs. Bluegill – Good: Use light tackle tipped with piece of worm in areas away from current along the weed edges in backwaters. Channel Catfish – Good: Try cut bait fished in deeper holes along current breaks of side channels.  Flathead Catfish – Good: The flathead bite has been good with the warmer temperatures. Try a shiner or small bluegill for bait. Lots of bank pole fishing with anglers using live bullheads or green sunfish for bait. Freshwater Drum – Good: Use a weighted crawler rig in the current anywhere from shore. Largemouth Bass – Good: Cast jigs or crankbaits in woody cover in the shallows of backwaters. Northern Pike – Fair: Cast crankbaits off vegetation lines or near the mouth of tributary streams. Sauger – Slow: Sauger are starting to bite as water temperatures cool. Try vertical jigging with a minnow in side channels and near lock and dam tailwaters. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Smallmouth are getting more active along main channel rock structure. Cast inline spinners or crankbaits along the faster current.  Walleye –  Good: Troll crankbaits off the wing-dams and side channels. White Bass – Fair: Watch for schools of white bass chasing minnows out of the water. Cast spinnerbaits or shad colored crankbaits for feeding white bass. Yellow Perch – Good: Use a jig and minnow fished in the backwaters.

Upper Mississippi River levels are low and predicted to remain stable, making for good fall fishing.  Water temperatures are in the low 60s. Boaters are advised to use caution to avoid backing off the end of ramps with the extreme low water levels. 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. Walleye/sauger combined daily limit 6/possession 12.

Mississippi River Pool 12
The water level is 4.9 feet at Lock and Dam 11 and 7.6 feet at the RR bridge. Use caution to avoid backing a boat off the ends of the boat ramps with the low river levels. Water temperature is around 61 degrees, and the water is clear.  Black Crappie – Good: Use s small jig tipped with a minnow in areas around fallen brush. Bluegill – Good: Try fishing the deeper sloughs around brush piles and rock lines. Channel Catfish – Fair: Some anglers are still getting channel cats on worm rigs fished in deeper sloughs and around tree snags. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: An egg sinker and worm rig fished in moderate current works best. Largemouth Bass – Excellent: Bass will start feeding heavily on shad; try minnow imitation plastics and crankbaits. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Target smallmouth in moderate current areas with lots of rock. Walleye – Good: Angers are throwing crankbaits on the wing-dams, but floating vegetation has been an issue sometimes. Switch over to jigs and jigging spoons to stay away from the weeds. White Bass – Excellent: Look for feeding schools hitting the water surface.  Use white jigs or small spinners.

Mississippi River Pool 13
The water level is 4.3 feet at Lock and Dam 12 at Bellevue. Use caution to avoid backing a boat off the ends of the boat ramps with the low river levels. Water clarity is excellent. Water temperature is 62 degrees. Black Crappie – Good: Use small jigs and minnows in brush piles in the larger sloughs. Bluegill – Good: Try a floating bobber and worm along rock lines. Channel Catfish – Fair: Most channel cats are being caught on worm rigs, but some anglers are still using stink baits. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: A simple worm rig fished on the bottom in moderate current areas will produce plenty of drum. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass fishing will heat up this fall as they start to feed heavily on shad. Smallmouth Bass – Excellent: Try fishing rock lines with moderate current or out to the tips of the wing-dams. Walleye – Good: Use crankbaits fished on the wing-dams. White Bass – Excellent: Try small white jigs or spinners.

Mississippi River Pool 14
The water level  is 4.3 feet at Fulton, 9.5 feet at Camanche and 4.3 feet at LeClaire. Water clarity is excellent. Water temperature is 62 degrees. Use caution to avoid backing a boat off the ends of the boat ramps with the low river levels. Black Bullhead – Good: Hit areas like Rock Creek backwaters near Camanche; try fishing in brush piles with deeper water near them. Bluegill – Good: Bobber and worms work best along old vegetation beds. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Use a worm and egg sinker rig in areas of moderate current. Drum are abundant on the Mississippi River and can be good eating if prepared correctly. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass fishing will heat up this fall as they start chasing gizzard shad in the backwater lakes. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try crankbaits and spinners fished in rock lines in moderate current areas. Walleye – Good: Use crankbaits on the wing-dams. White Bass – Excellent: Find white bass feeding mainly in the tailwater areas. Use small white jigs or small spinners.

Mississippi River Pool 15
The water level is 4.5 feet at Rock Island. Water clarity is excellent. Water temperature is 62 degrees. Use caution to avoid backing a boat off the ends of the boat ramps with the low river levels. Channel Catfish – Fair: Most anglers are catching catfish on nightcrawlers, but some are still using stink bait rigs. Freshwater Drum – Excellent: Use an egg sinker and worm rig in moderate current areas. Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try crankbaits and small spinners along rock lines with moderate current. White Bass – No Report: Look for feeding schools of white bass, especially in the tailwater areas.

Fishing conditions are excellent on the Mississippi River. Water levels are low and stable throughout the district. Water temperature is in the low 60s. Water clarity is good. Use caution when backing off boat ramps with the low river levels. Use the minimum amount of ramp to float your boat to avoid backing off the ends of short ramps. If you have angling questions, please call the Bellevue Fisheries Management Station at 563-880-8781.

Mississippi River Pool 16
Tailwater stage is 4.52 feet at Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities and has been fairly steady. Flood stage is 15 feet. We have not received any reports of tailwater fishing for walleyes and saugers. The bite should pick up as water temperature starts to drop. Channel Catfish – Fair: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Use dip baits, nightcrawlers or cut shad. Channel catfish can also be caught above the wing-dams. Walleye – No Report: Look for walleye on the wing-dams. Cast crankbaits or troll three-way rigs with nightcrawlers. White Crappie – No Report: Look for crappies in the backwaters and side channels around brush piles. Try jigs and minnows or minnows under a bobber.

Mississippi River Pool 17
Tailwater stage is 3.77 feet at Lock and Dam 16 in Muscatine and has been fairly steady. Flood stage is 15 feet. We have not received much for tailwater fishing reports for walleye and saugers. The bite should pick up as water temperatures begin to fall. Channel Catfish – No Report: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Use stink bait, nightcrawlers or cut shad. Channel catfish can also be caught above the wing-dams. Sauger – No Report: As water temperatures start to fall, look for saugers in the tailwaters. Try vertical jigging with minnows.  Walleye – No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing-dams. Cast or crankbaits or troll three-way rigs with nightcrawlers. White Crappie – Fair: Look for crappies in the backwaters around brush piles and snags. Use jigs and minnows or minnows under a bobber in Big Timber or Cleveland Slough.

Mississippi River Pool 18
Tailwater stage is 3.55 feet at Lock and Dam 17 and has been fairly steady. Flood stage is 15 feet. We have not received any tailwater reports for walleye and sauger fishing. As water temperature begins to fall the tailwater bite should pick up. Channel Catfish – Fair: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Use stink bait, nightcrawlers and cut shad. Channel catfish can also be caught above the wing-dams. Walleye – No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing-dams. Cast crankbaits or troll  three-way rigs with crawlers. White Crappie – No Report: Look for crappies in the backwaters and sides channels around brush piles. Try jigs and minnows or minnows under a bobber in the Huron Island complex.

Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 1.53 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and has been fairly steady. Flood stage is 10 feet. We have not received any tailwater fishing reports for walleye and saugers. Channel Catfish – No Report: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Use stink bait, nightcrawlers and cut shad. Channel catfish can also be caught above the wing-dams. White Crappie – No Report: Use jigs and minnows or minnows under a bobber in the backwaters and side channels around brush piles.

Mississippi River Pools 16-19. Tailwater stages have been fairly steady. Water clarity is fair. Main channel water temperature is 65 degrees. 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 dropping fast the last few days; it was in the 80s last week, down into the mid-60s now. Bluegill – Fair: Look for them to move into shallower water as they adjust to the cooler temperatures.

Lake Belva Deer
Water temperature is 62 degrees in the morning and about 66 degrees in the afternoon. Black Crappie – Fair: Best bite is before 10 a.m. Try slow trolling out from the beach and along down to the dam. Not seeing too many in shallow around the rocks. Bluegill – Fair: A more stable weather pattern is helping to improve the catch rates. Try fishing the upper end of the lake along some of the gravel bottom areas and over top of the mounds.

Lake Darling
Water temperature ranges from 62 degrees in the morning to 68-69 degrees in the afternoon. Fall turnover happened the middle of last week. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappie are starting to bite again. They are staying out in the deeper water around the cedars. Bluegill – Fair: Bluegill fishing is picking back up with the cooler more stable weather pattern.

Lost Grove Lake
Water temperature are around 60 degrees in the morning and in the mid to upper 60s by afternoon. A good cold snap should take the rest of the green color out of the water, most of it is already gone. Bluegill – Fair: Bite is starting to pick up; they are not in a big rush to get back in shallow just yet. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Those 10- to 12-inch bass have come back in shallow to hunt; bigger ones should be coming in soon.

Skunk River (Coppock to Mississippi River)
The river level is very low; an increase in water level  will help the fish get to their overwintering holes later in the fall.

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

Coralville Reservoir
Black Crappie – Fair.  Channel Catfish – Fair.  Largemouth Bass – Fair.  Walleye – Fair.

Diamond Lake
The lake is reported 2 feet low at this time. Black Crappie – Good: Most fish are 8- to 9-inches. Bluegill – Fair.  Channel Catfish – Fair.

Hannen Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Size has been good. Channel Catfish – Good: Nice-sized fish are reported. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Most fish are under 15-inches.

Lake Macbride
Any size motor may be used at no wake (5 mph) speed. Water temperatures are in the mid-60s. Black Crappie – Fair. Largemouth Bass – Good. Walleye – Slow.

Pleasant Creek Lake
Fishing is reported as slow. The fish cleaning station will be shut down by the weekend; docks will remain until ice-up.

Wapsipinicon River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)
Black Crappie – Fair.  Bluegill – Fair.  Largemouth Bass – Good. Smallmouth Bass – Fair. Walleye – Good.

For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Hawthorn Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Try minnow and jigs around submerged structure. Bluegill – Fair: Use small jigs tipped with a nightcrawler around submerged structure. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try crankbaits and plastics around submerged structure and the jetties.

Lake Miami
Bluegill – Fair: Use small jigs around the submerged cedar tree piles or drift for suspended bluegill. Bluegills should start to move to shallow water with the water cooling down. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use dead chubs around the jetties and shoreline. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try spinnerbaits and crankbaits around the jetties and cedar tree piles.

Lake Sugema
Black Crappie – Fair: Look for suspended crappies in 6-8 feet of water; drift or slow troll through these areas. Bluegill – Fair: Try small jigs around shorelines and the edge of vegetated areas. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use nightcrawlers around the fishing jetties. Largemouth Bass – Good: Try plastics or spinnerbaits around the rock jetties and along the face of the dam.

Lake Wapello
Black Crappie – Fair: Drift or slow troll  in 6-8 feet of water using jigs. Crappie will move into shallower water as the water cools off.  Bluegill – Fair: Use small jigs around the cedar tree piles and rock jetties. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try nightcrawlers around the fishing jetties. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use rubber worms or other plastics fished around the cedar tree piles.

Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 903.82 msl; recreation pool is 904 msl. Prairie Ridge boat ramp and campground is closed. Bridgeview and Island View campgrounds are closed. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels, so make sure to properly drain, clean and dry equipment before transporting to another waterbody. Black Crappie – Fair: Try jig and minnow combos around docks and over submerged structure. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use dead chubs or liver. Walleye – Fair: Troll nightcrawler rigs or crankbaits over underwater rock piles. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Fair: Try vertically jigging around rock piles or trolling crankbaits near the old river channel.