Nelson Park Lake
Channel catfish are being caught from the dam and near the lake bottom below the catfish cages.
Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Channel Catfish – Fair: Try drifting for catfish using night crawler harnesses. White Bass – Fair: White bass can be caught pulling plugs, crankbaits, or casting white twisters. The dredge machine on Storm Lake is in operation. Stay clear of the dredge, booster pump, and pipeline that runs from the dredge to the east shore.
North Twin Lake
Water levels are about 3 to 4 inches below crest. Water clarity is poor. Fishing for most species is slow, except for catfish. Anglers have been doing well for channel catfish. Try night crawlers, stink bait, cut bait, etc.
Black Hawk Lake
Black Hawk Lake is approximately three inches below crest. Water clarity is good. Black Hawk Lake’s fishery was renovated last fall. Although we have been restocking the lake with sport fish, there are not a lot of harvestable size fish in the lake yet.
Browns Lake
Fishing is slow.
Snyder Bend Lake
Fishing is slow.
Little Sioux River (Linn Grove to Correctionville)
Channel catfish have been hitting hard on chicken livers. Use a slip sinker and toss into a snag or along a high bank. The river has come down and is in good shape.
For more information on lakes and rivers in the Black Hawk District contact the Black Hawk District Office at 712-657-2638.
Beeds Lake
Sucker – Good: There are lots of white suckers and a worm and sinker on the bottom should entice them to bite. Channel Catfish – Fair: Largemouth Bass – Good: Crappie – Fair: Try for crappies around the jetties with minnows.
Upper Pine Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: A few catfish are being caught on liver. Bluegill – Good: Small grub-style baits are working. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Crappie – Fair: Some crappies are being caught near structure.
Lake Smith
Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cutbait, worms, or stinkbait. Fish are probably biting best the last hour of sunlight to an hour after sunset. Bluegill – Slow: Largemouth Bass – Fair: A few largemouths are being caught.
Lake Catherine
Channel Catfish – Good: Cats are biting on minnows or chicken liver. Try early morning or right at dark. They are decent size with some running 7-9 pounds. Largemouth Bass – Good: Largemouth bass are biting on spinners.
Clear Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Catfish are biting near the grade, on some rock reefs, near the island and perhaps by the city seawall. Your best bet is to fish after dark with small live bait, cutbait, or stinkbait. Bluegill – Slow: Bluegill numbers are low, but some fish may be caught below docks or on the edge of bulrush. Crappie – Slow: Reports of crappies hitting near the state reef, near the dollar dock and a few by the Ventura grade. Walleye – Slow: Most of the action is in deeper water on the various rock reefs using a small lead head with a quarter piece of nightcrawler. A few walleyes have been taken trolling. Some anglers are drifting around the island and picking some up. Shore fishing can still be ok on the windward shorelines. Muskellunge – No Report: Yellow Bass – Good: Anglers are getting lots of yellows from boats near the state artificial reef, which is out from the state dock area, and from Fisherman’s Reef.
Lake Cornelia
Channel Catfish – Good: Cats should be biting on cutbait or stinkbait. Fish the last hour of sunlight to an hour after sunset. Or try during the day on a windward side of the lake. Bluegill – Good: Bluegills are keeper sized. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Largemouth bass are near the rocks by the harbor and other rocky shorelines. Crappie – Fair: Crappies are around eight inches. Yellow Bass – Good: Yellow bass are 7-7.25 inches
Little Wall Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Some channel cats have been caught in the evenings. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Crappie – Slow:
Crystal Lake
Anglers are saying the algae is not as bad as it was a few weeks ago. Try fishing the deeper dredged water for most species or near some of the sources of inflow on the lake. Northern Pike – Fair: The pike are attracted to some of the sources of cooler water coming into the lake. Channel Catfish – Slow: Bluegill – Good: Anglers are picking bluegills up in 7-8 feet of water but some are deep, too. Largemouth Bass – Good: Anglers have reported catching lots of largemouth. Fish on the outside edges with a bobber and live bait or try a weedless spoon. Walleye – Fair: Walleyes are around 16-20 inches. Fish deep during the day, and a little shallower during the evening.
Bluebill Lake
Channel Catfish – Good: Anglers still catching some catfish off the jetty. Bluegill – Good: Bluegills still biting. Largemouth Bass – Good: Remember the 15-inch minimum length limit on bass.
Interstate Park Lake
There was a partial fish kill this winter on this lake but anglers have been reporting catching a variety of fish this past week. Bluegill – Fair: Largemouth Bass – Fair: Crappie – Fair: Crappies are a nice size and should be biting off the boat ramp point or off the east rock side.
Iowa River (Iowa Falls to Marshalltown)
Water levels have gone down. No reports, but fishing should be good for a variety of species.
Shell Rock River (above Greene)
Water levels have gone down. No reports, but fishing should be good for pike, walleye, and catfish. Northern Pike – No Report: Look for areas with cooler water flowing in, if you can find them.
Winnebago River
Water levels have gone down. No reports, but fishing should be good for a variety of species.
East Fork Des Moines (Algona to Humboldt)
The East Fork is fishable. Channel Catfish – Good: Anglers are having nice catches with frogs. Walleye – No Report:
For lake updates and fishing information in the north central area contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
Big Spirit Lake
Smallmouth Bass – Slow: Look around rock piles and weed lines for smallmouth with a combination being even better. Largemouth Bass – Slow: Fish have been found in a few different areas but there doesn’t seem to be a clear cut pattern. Pitching docks, cranking weed lines, and top-water early and late have all caught a few fish. Walleye – Slow: A few fish have been caught trolling the basin but only a few fish have been coming in.
West Okoboji Lake
Bluegill – Fair: Look for bluegills in and around weeds, with open pockets and weed edges being the most productive. Live bait rigged on a slip bobber rig suspended just above the weeds has been good as well as jigging pilkies and small jigs. A few perch and yellow bass are also being picked up with this presentation. Smallmouth Bass – Slow: The smallies have been relating more so to deeper weed edges and drop-offs. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Look for weed pockets or weed edges for largemouth.
Lost Island Lake
Channel Catfish – Fair: Catfish action has been fairly steady with 3-5 pound fish. Try stinkbait, cutbait, or worms fished on the bottom around dusk or after dark.
Little Sioux River (state line to Linn Grove)
The water is low and the fish are concentrated in deeper holes. Try a white twister tail for walleye and a worm on bottom should catch just about anything.
For more information contact the Spirit Lake Hatchery at 712-336-1840.
