Post by graybeard on Jul 23, 2007 20:29:09 GMT -6
Northeast
Mississippi River Pools 9-15- Water levels on the Mississippi River are steady to slightly rising. Levels Monday were 7.9 feet at Lansing, 12.45 feet at Lynxville (Wis.), 4 feet at Guttenberg, 6.9 feet in Dubuque, Bellevue was at 3.2 feet and Comanche was 9.1 feet. Water temperature continues to be in the upper 70s to low 80s. Clarity is very good. Lower water levels and clear water conditions continue to result in good fishing on the river; however, as water levels continue to fluctuate, boating can be difficult as operators are reporting hitting underwater stumps, logs and rock piles. When searching for fish, don’t stay in one spot more than 15 to 20 minutes if you haven’t had a bite. It usually pays to move around to find the right combination of current and bottom type for the species you are after. Walleye fishing has slowed recently in Pools 12-15. Low water levels have the fish out on the tips of the wing dams. Three-way rigs with spinners or floaters tipped with a night crawler or leech continue to work well. Fishing is good to excellent for channel catfish in Pools 9-15 as they continue to move onto the rocks to spawn. Fish worms, minnows, cut bait or stink baits by drifting the bait under a bobber through the rocks and riprapped areas in the main channel and running sloughs. Some folks report catching catfish using chicken liver and prepared baits in the running sloughs and main channel areas. Bluegill fishing has been good in an array of spots from the backwaters to the main channel in Pools 9-15. Fish are being caught using night crawlers fished on the bottom and off of brush piles. Try fishing the pockets below the dams in Pools 9-11 and in the slack waters next to structure. With the warmer water conditions, bluegills are biting in Minnesota Slough near New Albin (Pool 9), Harpers Slough in Harpers Ferry (Pool 10) and Cassville Slough (Pool 11). Bluegills appear to be on the move and looking for current situations. Try fishing at the near-shore section of the wing dams or around log piles off the main channel. Fishing for freshwater drum is excellent in Pools 9-15 using a simple sliding sinker and a night crawler. Larger drum (many in the 5 pound range) are being caught using crayfish as bait. The big ones are more for sport; although, some anglers keep them for smoking. Crawlers will yield fish of all sizes, but primarily the smaller edible-size fish. Drum are found mostly in current situations and you do not need a boat to catch them. Tailwater areas and wing dams are good areas to fish for drum, but remember to move if you don’t get a bite within 15 minutes. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a long distance move-sometimes a move of 50 yards is all it takes. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing is good to excellent in Pools 9-15 on a variety of lures including small spinners, crank baits, jigs, top-water lures and soft plastics. Both species are feeding heavily along rocky areas with current. Try backwater sloughs along the snags for hungry largemouth. Many largemouths have moved to edges of current situations to feed on minnows. The key to bass fishing is to find habitat and structure. Riprapped banks, snags and logs along the shoreline, or any combination thereof, are prime locations. Areas with good to excellent bass angling opportunities include Lansing Big Lake and Winneshiek Slough (Pool 9), below the dam and at the spillway in Pool 10 and Cassville Slough near Guttenberg (Pool 11). In Pools 12-15, fish the main channel as well as the backwaters for largemouth bass. Smallmouth bass are being picked up by anglers fishing the rock and woody structure in current areas using in-line spinners, jigs, stick baits and crank baits. Seek out areas with some flow as the water levels are dropping and water temperatures increase. White bass are being caught in the tailwaters of Lock 9 at Lynxville and Lock 10 at Guttenberg. They are biting best on white twister tail jigs and small spinners. Average size of white bass has been small, but occasionally, larger 16-inch fish are being taken. Northern pike fishing continues to be good to excellent in Pools 9-15 for anglers fishing near the tributaries of the cool water streams that empty into the Mississippi River. Pike will continue to seek these cool water areas as summertime temperatures heat up. Spinners, larger crank baits or white jigs work well. Northern pike have generally been smaller, ranging in the 25-inch range.
Cedar River (Mitchell, Floyd and Chickasaw): Water levels are low and fishing is excellent for channel catfish using chicken liver and dead chubs. Walleye fishing is fair. Walleye are being caught on blue double-tailed twister tails worked very slowly (reel in 3 inches of line, pause, 3 more inches, pause). Smallmouth bass are biting on green or purple twister tails and tube jigs.
Cedar, West Fork Cedar and Shell Rock Rivers (Butler, Bremer & Black Hawk): Channel catfish are biting well on night crawlers, chicken livers and stink baits. Smallmouth bass fishing is picking up on jigs tipped with a night crawler in the Cedar and Shell Rock rivers. Fishing is starting to pick up for walleyes on jigs tipped with a night crawler. Concentrate your efforts along rocky shorelines or current breaks near log jams.
Maquoketa River (Delaware): Walleye fishing is good above Lake Delhi using jigs tipped with a piece of crawler. Smallmouth bass fishing is good below the Lake Delhi dam in the catch-and-release area of the river. Smallmouths are hitting crank baits or crawlers drifted below a bobber. The river is clear and fishing conditions are excellent.
Turkey River (Clayton): The river has cleared up. Smallmouth bass fishing is excellent using night crawlers, twister tails or shad raps fished in the slower water right near the edge of the faster moving water. The smallmouth fishing is especially hot below Elgin using black twister tails. Rock bass are being caught on small pieces of night crawlers fished next to rock boulders and riprap. Walleye fishing is good using a variety of lures fished throughout the day. Channel catfishing is excellent below the dam at Elkader using cut baits and a variety of other catfishing favorites.
Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek and Allamakee): Water levels are low and clear. Walleye fishing has been excellent using crank baits, white twister tails and jigs tipped with live bait throughout the entire river. Walleye can be caught right at the lower dam using twister tails. Try using a heavier jig head to get the jig down into the current. A few sauger can be caught from the mouth to the lower dam. Fishing for smallmouth bass is excellent throughout the entire river as well, using twister tails, Shad Raps, crank baits, and night crawlers fished on the edge of the current breaks. Quite a few 13- to 14-inch smallies are being caught throughout the day, with some trophy-sized fish mixed in. Channel catfish fishing is fair using chicken livers or night crawlers fished on the bottom downstream of the lower dam all the way to the mouth. Some smaller white bass are being caught at the lower dam.
Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan): Northern pike and walleye fishing is good using crank baits or jigs tipped with a night crawler. Concentrate your efforts for walleye along rocky shorelines and current breaks in or around log jams.
Black Hawk County Lakes and Ponds: Bluegill and crappie fishing is fair to good. Fish around structure in deeper water using jigs tipped with a minnow or try drifting a minnow under a slip bobber across the lake to locate fish.
Casey Lake (Tama): Bluegill fishing has been very good in the shallow water near shore. When fishing for bluegills, use a piece of worm on a small hook suspended under a bobber. Fishing is good for channel catfish using fresh shrimp, chicken liver or dead cut baits.
Lake Delhi (Delaware): Crappie fishing is good in the lower section of the lake. Fish the deeper water by drifting a minnow under a slip bobber in order to locate crappies. Channel catfishing is fair to good using chicken livers, stink baits, cut baits or worms fished on the bottom.
Lake Hendricks (Howard): Channel catfishing is fair using chicken liver, stink bait, cut bait or worms fished on the bottom. The catfish that are being caught now are the larger-sized fish. Largemouth bass fishing is fair using plastic worms worked near structure; however, anglers are having better success with top-water lures fished during the evening hours. Fishing is fair for bluegills on wax worms or a piece of night crawler suspended under a bobber, or with artificial flies. Try using smaller gear when fishing mid-day to hook the finicky ones. A few crappie are being caught with minnows fished under a bobber on the weedlines.
Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Channel catfish are close to shore next to the larger logs and riprap in the lake. Catfishing is good using chicken livers fished under bobbers over the snags on the south and west sides of the lake. They are also being caught in the evenings on the east side in the shallows using chicken liver fished on the bottom. Crappie can be caught in the snags using small tube jigs. There are quite a few small ones in the shallows, but the larger fish are out in 8 to 10 feet of water. Bluegill fishing is excellent, but many are on the small side. The larger bluegills are being caught in 8-10 feet of water on the west side using tube jigs or angle worms and very small hooks. Largemouth bass are being caught with surface lures especially in the evening hours. Try using plastic weedless worms during other hours of the day.
Plainfield Lake (Bremer): Crappies are biting well drifting a minnow under a bobber along the weed beds.
Volga Lake (Fayette): Fishing is picking up for channel catfish. Largemouth bass fishing is picking up in the early morning and late evening hours. Use slower-moving artificial lures worked along structure. Bluegill fishing is good using wax worms under a bobber.
Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan): Fishing is good for walleye and northern pike using crank baits. Concentrate your efforts for walleye near rock piles.
Trout Streams: Trout fishing and stream conditions are excellent. Mornings and evenings usually provide the best success for catching trout. In mid-summer, these times of day are easier on the angler as well! Many trout stream stockings are announced and the dates of proposed stockings can be found on the Iowa DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov or by calling the trout stocking hotline at 563-927-5736.
For information on fishing in northeast Iowa, call the regional office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.
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Northwest
Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Bluegill fishing has been fair for 5- to 8-inch fish at the North Grade. Walleye fishing has been slow.
West Lake Okoboji (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is fair along the weedlines and deep rock piles with leeches. Bluegill fishing is excellent along weedlines in 12 to 18 feet of water using garden worms. Bigger fish are coming from the deeper weedlines. Browns Bay, North Bay, Haywards Bay and Emerson Bay have been productive. Largemouth bass fishing is good around weed lines with leeches or night crawlers. Smallmouth bass fishing is good early morning using topwater lures. Later in the morning switch to small grubs fished on the points. Fort Dodge, Pillsbury and Gull Point have been producing.
Center Lake (Dickinson): Bullhead fishing is good on night crawlers.
West Fork Des Moines River (Emmet): Channel catfishing is good using crawlers for small fish and cutbait for larger fish.
Little Sioux River (Dickinson): Channel catfish fishing is good around Horseshoe Bend using cutbait.
Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Fishing is fair for walleyes, white bass and catfish.
Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Catfish fishing is air on chicken livers.
Crawford Creek (Ida): Bluegill fishing is fair drifting above the thermocline with small jigs tipped with waxworms.
Brushy Creek (Webster): Warmer water has slowed fishing success throughout the lake. Some nice bluegills have been caught using a small worm. Look for active fish in the cooler, deeper water.
Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Yellow bass are hitting live bait. Smaller yellows in the 7-inch range are being caught, along with a few of the larger ones form earlier year classes.
Indian Lake, Eldred Sherwood Park (Hancock): Bluegill fishing is fair to good using crawlers along the vegetation. Largemouth bass fishing is fair in the mornings and evenings using plastics and spinnerbaits. Channel catfish are hitting stink bait and liver, especially in the evenings.
Smith Lake (Kossuth): Largemouth bass fishing is good. Spinner baits and jerk baits are working best. Remember, Smith Lake has an 18-inch minimum length on bass. Channel catfishing is good using chicken liver, stink baits and dead chubs.
Lake Cornelia (Wright): Bullhead fishing is fair using crawlers. Fish have been running 9 to 11 inches. Channel catfish fishing is excellent using chicken liver, stink bait and dead chubs.
For more information on fishing in northwest Iowa, call the regional office in Spirit Lake at 712-336-1840.
Mississippi River Pools 9-15- Water levels on the Mississippi River are steady to slightly rising. Levels Monday were 7.9 feet at Lansing, 12.45 feet at Lynxville (Wis.), 4 feet at Guttenberg, 6.9 feet in Dubuque, Bellevue was at 3.2 feet and Comanche was 9.1 feet. Water temperature continues to be in the upper 70s to low 80s. Clarity is very good. Lower water levels and clear water conditions continue to result in good fishing on the river; however, as water levels continue to fluctuate, boating can be difficult as operators are reporting hitting underwater stumps, logs and rock piles. When searching for fish, don’t stay in one spot more than 15 to 20 minutes if you haven’t had a bite. It usually pays to move around to find the right combination of current and bottom type for the species you are after. Walleye fishing has slowed recently in Pools 12-15. Low water levels have the fish out on the tips of the wing dams. Three-way rigs with spinners or floaters tipped with a night crawler or leech continue to work well. Fishing is good to excellent for channel catfish in Pools 9-15 as they continue to move onto the rocks to spawn. Fish worms, minnows, cut bait or stink baits by drifting the bait under a bobber through the rocks and riprapped areas in the main channel and running sloughs. Some folks report catching catfish using chicken liver and prepared baits in the running sloughs and main channel areas. Bluegill fishing has been good in an array of spots from the backwaters to the main channel in Pools 9-15. Fish are being caught using night crawlers fished on the bottom and off of brush piles. Try fishing the pockets below the dams in Pools 9-11 and in the slack waters next to structure. With the warmer water conditions, bluegills are biting in Minnesota Slough near New Albin (Pool 9), Harpers Slough in Harpers Ferry (Pool 10) and Cassville Slough (Pool 11). Bluegills appear to be on the move and looking for current situations. Try fishing at the near-shore section of the wing dams or around log piles off the main channel. Fishing for freshwater drum is excellent in Pools 9-15 using a simple sliding sinker and a night crawler. Larger drum (many in the 5 pound range) are being caught using crayfish as bait. The big ones are more for sport; although, some anglers keep them for smoking. Crawlers will yield fish of all sizes, but primarily the smaller edible-size fish. Drum are found mostly in current situations and you do not need a boat to catch them. Tailwater areas and wing dams are good areas to fish for drum, but remember to move if you don’t get a bite within 15 minutes. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a long distance move-sometimes a move of 50 yards is all it takes. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing is good to excellent in Pools 9-15 on a variety of lures including small spinners, crank baits, jigs, top-water lures and soft plastics. Both species are feeding heavily along rocky areas with current. Try backwater sloughs along the snags for hungry largemouth. Many largemouths have moved to edges of current situations to feed on minnows. The key to bass fishing is to find habitat and structure. Riprapped banks, snags and logs along the shoreline, or any combination thereof, are prime locations. Areas with good to excellent bass angling opportunities include Lansing Big Lake and Winneshiek Slough (Pool 9), below the dam and at the spillway in Pool 10 and Cassville Slough near Guttenberg (Pool 11). In Pools 12-15, fish the main channel as well as the backwaters for largemouth bass. Smallmouth bass are being picked up by anglers fishing the rock and woody structure in current areas using in-line spinners, jigs, stick baits and crank baits. Seek out areas with some flow as the water levels are dropping and water temperatures increase. White bass are being caught in the tailwaters of Lock 9 at Lynxville and Lock 10 at Guttenberg. They are biting best on white twister tail jigs and small spinners. Average size of white bass has been small, but occasionally, larger 16-inch fish are being taken. Northern pike fishing continues to be good to excellent in Pools 9-15 for anglers fishing near the tributaries of the cool water streams that empty into the Mississippi River. Pike will continue to seek these cool water areas as summertime temperatures heat up. Spinners, larger crank baits or white jigs work well. Northern pike have generally been smaller, ranging in the 25-inch range.
Cedar River (Mitchell, Floyd and Chickasaw): Water levels are low and fishing is excellent for channel catfish using chicken liver and dead chubs. Walleye fishing is fair. Walleye are being caught on blue double-tailed twister tails worked very slowly (reel in 3 inches of line, pause, 3 more inches, pause). Smallmouth bass are biting on green or purple twister tails and tube jigs.
Cedar, West Fork Cedar and Shell Rock Rivers (Butler, Bremer & Black Hawk): Channel catfish are biting well on night crawlers, chicken livers and stink baits. Smallmouth bass fishing is picking up on jigs tipped with a night crawler in the Cedar and Shell Rock rivers. Fishing is starting to pick up for walleyes on jigs tipped with a night crawler. Concentrate your efforts along rocky shorelines or current breaks near log jams.
Maquoketa River (Delaware): Walleye fishing is good above Lake Delhi using jigs tipped with a piece of crawler. Smallmouth bass fishing is good below the Lake Delhi dam in the catch-and-release area of the river. Smallmouths are hitting crank baits or crawlers drifted below a bobber. The river is clear and fishing conditions are excellent.
Turkey River (Clayton): The river has cleared up. Smallmouth bass fishing is excellent using night crawlers, twister tails or shad raps fished in the slower water right near the edge of the faster moving water. The smallmouth fishing is especially hot below Elgin using black twister tails. Rock bass are being caught on small pieces of night crawlers fished next to rock boulders and riprap. Walleye fishing is good using a variety of lures fished throughout the day. Channel catfishing is excellent below the dam at Elkader using cut baits and a variety of other catfishing favorites.
Upper Iowa River (Winneshiek and Allamakee): Water levels are low and clear. Walleye fishing has been excellent using crank baits, white twister tails and jigs tipped with live bait throughout the entire river. Walleye can be caught right at the lower dam using twister tails. Try using a heavier jig head to get the jig down into the current. A few sauger can be caught from the mouth to the lower dam. Fishing for smallmouth bass is excellent throughout the entire river as well, using twister tails, Shad Raps, crank baits, and night crawlers fished on the edge of the current breaks. Quite a few 13- to 14-inch smallies are being caught throughout the day, with some trophy-sized fish mixed in. Channel catfish fishing is fair using chicken livers or night crawlers fished on the bottom downstream of the lower dam all the way to the mouth. Some smaller white bass are being caught at the lower dam.
Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan): Northern pike and walleye fishing is good using crank baits or jigs tipped with a night crawler. Concentrate your efforts for walleye along rocky shorelines and current breaks in or around log jams.
Black Hawk County Lakes and Ponds: Bluegill and crappie fishing is fair to good. Fish around structure in deeper water using jigs tipped with a minnow or try drifting a minnow under a slip bobber across the lake to locate fish.
Casey Lake (Tama): Bluegill fishing has been very good in the shallow water near shore. When fishing for bluegills, use a piece of worm on a small hook suspended under a bobber. Fishing is good for channel catfish using fresh shrimp, chicken liver or dead cut baits.
Lake Delhi (Delaware): Crappie fishing is good in the lower section of the lake. Fish the deeper water by drifting a minnow under a slip bobber in order to locate crappies. Channel catfishing is fair to good using chicken livers, stink baits, cut baits or worms fished on the bottom.
Lake Hendricks (Howard): Channel catfishing is fair using chicken liver, stink bait, cut bait or worms fished on the bottom. The catfish that are being caught now are the larger-sized fish. Largemouth bass fishing is fair using plastic worms worked near structure; however, anglers are having better success with top-water lures fished during the evening hours. Fishing is fair for bluegills on wax worms or a piece of night crawler suspended under a bobber, or with artificial flies. Try using smaller gear when fishing mid-day to hook the finicky ones. A few crappie are being caught with minnows fished under a bobber on the weedlines.
Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Channel catfish are close to shore next to the larger logs and riprap in the lake. Catfishing is good using chicken livers fished under bobbers over the snags on the south and west sides of the lake. They are also being caught in the evenings on the east side in the shallows using chicken liver fished on the bottom. Crappie can be caught in the snags using small tube jigs. There are quite a few small ones in the shallows, but the larger fish are out in 8 to 10 feet of water. Bluegill fishing is excellent, but many are on the small side. The larger bluegills are being caught in 8-10 feet of water on the west side using tube jigs or angle worms and very small hooks. Largemouth bass are being caught with surface lures especially in the evening hours. Try using plastic weedless worms during other hours of the day.
Plainfield Lake (Bremer): Crappies are biting well drifting a minnow under a bobber along the weed beds.
Volga Lake (Fayette): Fishing is picking up for channel catfish. Largemouth bass fishing is picking up in the early morning and late evening hours. Use slower-moving artificial lures worked along structure. Bluegill fishing is good using wax worms under a bobber.
Wapsipinicon River (Buchanan): Fishing is good for walleye and northern pike using crank baits. Concentrate your efforts for walleye near rock piles.
Trout Streams: Trout fishing and stream conditions are excellent. Mornings and evenings usually provide the best success for catching trout. In mid-summer, these times of day are easier on the angler as well! Many trout stream stockings are announced and the dates of proposed stockings can be found on the Iowa DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov or by calling the trout stocking hotline at 563-927-5736.
For information on fishing in northeast Iowa, call the regional office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.
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Northwest
Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Bluegill fishing has been fair for 5- to 8-inch fish at the North Grade. Walleye fishing has been slow.
West Lake Okoboji (Dickinson): Walleye fishing is fair along the weedlines and deep rock piles with leeches. Bluegill fishing is excellent along weedlines in 12 to 18 feet of water using garden worms. Bigger fish are coming from the deeper weedlines. Browns Bay, North Bay, Haywards Bay and Emerson Bay have been productive. Largemouth bass fishing is good around weed lines with leeches or night crawlers. Smallmouth bass fishing is good early morning using topwater lures. Later in the morning switch to small grubs fished on the points. Fort Dodge, Pillsbury and Gull Point have been producing.
Center Lake (Dickinson): Bullhead fishing is good on night crawlers.
West Fork Des Moines River (Emmet): Channel catfishing is good using crawlers for small fish and cutbait for larger fish.
Little Sioux River (Dickinson): Channel catfish fishing is good around Horseshoe Bend using cutbait.
Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Fishing is fair for walleyes, white bass and catfish.
Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Catfish fishing is air on chicken livers.
Crawford Creek (Ida): Bluegill fishing is fair drifting above the thermocline with small jigs tipped with waxworms.
Brushy Creek (Webster): Warmer water has slowed fishing success throughout the lake. Some nice bluegills have been caught using a small worm. Look for active fish in the cooler, deeper water.
Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Yellow bass are hitting live bait. Smaller yellows in the 7-inch range are being caught, along with a few of the larger ones form earlier year classes.
Indian Lake, Eldred Sherwood Park (Hancock): Bluegill fishing is fair to good using crawlers along the vegetation. Largemouth bass fishing is fair in the mornings and evenings using plastics and spinnerbaits. Channel catfish are hitting stink bait and liver, especially in the evenings.
Smith Lake (Kossuth): Largemouth bass fishing is good. Spinner baits and jerk baits are working best. Remember, Smith Lake has an 18-inch minimum length on bass. Channel catfishing is good using chicken liver, stink baits and dead chubs.
Lake Cornelia (Wright): Bullhead fishing is fair using crawlers. Fish have been running 9 to 11 inches. Channel catfish fishing is excellent using chicken liver, stink bait and dead chubs.
For more information on fishing in northwest Iowa, call the regional office in Spirit Lake at 712-336-1840.