For immediate release: February 20, 2014
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For lake locations, maps and other information, go to www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/FishingReports.aspx
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issues a weekly fishing report on Thursdays in an effort to provide the latest information heading into the weekend. The weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys, and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report.
NORTHWEST
Lower Pine Lake
Activity remains steady with seven-inch average crappie and six-inch plus average bluegills being caught.
Lake Smith
Ice thickness is 25-26 inches. In general, fishing is slow. A few crappies have been caught. Best bite is late afternoon and evening hours.
Clear Lake
Ice thickness is 28-29 inches. Anglers should avoid driving through the channel that runs from the little lake to the big lake as that area can be unsafe; take the highway around instead. Bluegill - Slow: A few bluegills and crappies have been caught on the edge of the reeds on the north shore of the main lake. Fish on the very edge but in the reeds. Crappie - Fair: Anglers are still getting some in the deeper areas of the little lake around dark. Look for them to be suspended a ways off bottom if you're in the deeper water in the little lake. A few crappies also have been caught near Baptist Camp/Farmers Beach areas. Some have also been caught by the island in 14-16 feet of water. Most are 8-11 inches. Yellow Perch - Slow: Some small perch being caught; 10 inchers not very common. Walleye - Slow: A few being caught near the island and near the aerator on the west end at dark (14-inch minimum). Yellow Bass - Fair: Most of the yellow bass action seems to be coming from anglers on the main lake near the Baptist Camp and Farmers Beach. Yellows on the little lake seem to be around 12 feet of water. Most yellow bass being caught are around 7.5-8 inches with a few 9-9.5-inch.
Lake Cornelia
Ice thickness is 20 plus inches. Some reports have indicated the bite has slowed. Use a minnow head or piece of cut bait on a small jig. Some anglers have had luck using just the tail end on a light jig.
Little Wall Lake
Ice thickness is 22 inches. No fishing activity seen.
Crystal Lake
Ice thickness is 30 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Fishing seems to be fairly consistent. Bluegill fishing has been good using small jigs tipped with wax worms. Anglers are reporting better success in the shallower water 8 feet near the edge of the dredged basin. Crappie - Fair: Crappie fishing has been fair using minnows at dusk in the deeper water near or on the drop-off of the basin. Walleye - Slow: An occasional walleye may be taken in the deeper water using minnow.
Blue Pit
Additional rainbow trout were stocked Feb 7. Anglers should be able to catch them with a small ice fly and a wax worm or a small spoon. You should start shallow near shore.
Bluebill Lake
Ice thickness is 22 inches. No reports lately; earlier anglers were having some success catching perch, bluegill, and some largemouth bass on spikes and wax worms fished near sunken cedar tree clumps.
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
There is 28-30 inches of ice and walleye season is closed. Bluegill - Slow: Anglers Bay has put out a few bluegills all winter the numbers are not great but they are quality fish. Most activity is early and late in the day. Crappie - Slow: Like the bluegills crappie activity has been best early and late in the day in Anglers Bay.
East Okoboji Lake
Walleye season is closed
Silver Lake (Dickinson)
There is very little fishing pressure at this time.
West Okoboji Lake
There is 26-30 inches of ice and walleye season is closed. Bluegill - Slow: Most fishermen have been targeting Emerson and Millers Bay and weeds have been a key factor. The fishing has been hit or miss with some days being much better than others. Yellow Perch - Fair: Fish have been in 40 plus feet of water and lots of small fish have been caught. Keep in mind that fish coming out of deep water have a higher mortality rate.
Lost Island Lake
Walleye - No Report: There is very little fishing pressure at this time.
Scharnberg Pond
Rainbow Trout - Fair: Panfish tackle is all that is needed to fish for trout the key is not to fish to deep. The most active fish cruse just under the ice or are willing to come up to take a bait.
For more information contact the Spirit Lake Hatchery at 712-336-1840.
NORTHEAST
Volga Lake
The lake has 24 inches of ice. Fish are suspended so fish 6 to 8 feet off the bottom. Bluegill - Slow: A few bluegills are being caught while fishing for crappies. Crappie - Slow: Anglers are using small brightly colored jigs tipped with multiple wax worms to entice those hungry crappies.
Lake Hendricks
There is about 28 inches of ice covered with 10 inches of packed, slushy snow. Use caution around the aerator. No motorized vehicles including ATVs are allowed on the ice. Fish are suspended off the bottom. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills 7-8 inches are being caught. Try dropping a small jig tipped with wax worm to the bottom and slowly lift the jig off the bottom about one foot. Crappie - Slow: Anglers are using small jigs tipped with wax worms.
Lake Meyer
The lake has about 24 inches of ice with about 3 to 4 inches of slushy snow covering the ice. Water clarity is excellent with visibility 10 to 12 feet. A few brave anglers were out but fish activity has really slowed. Bluegill - Slow: Fish activity is slow but 7-9 inch gills can be caught using teardrop shaped jigs tipped with wax worms. Fish are suspended off the bottom. Crappie - Slow: Crappies up to 10 inches can be found in 12-14 feet of water but are suspended about six feet off the bottom.
Turkey River (below Clermont)
Trout fishing on the Turkey River below Big Spring Hatchery is good. The river at the hatchery is open from the 1st set of tubes downriver.
Cedar River (above Nashua)
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.
Decorah District Streams
Though weather and road conditions have been challenging, better northeast Iowa streams have open clear water and trout have been taken on streamers, wet flies and nymphs. Surprisingly, winter midge hatches have been heavy and trout can sometimes be taken on dry flies when rising. Small Threadwraps (#18-#24) are effective early in the afternoon. Brown Trout - Slow: Sny Magill is partially ice covered but fishable. Bloody Run is mostly ice-free. Mink, Otter and Glovers are completely ice covered. Grannis is not fishable but if temperatures warm up, it should open up.
Weekend temperatures are predicted to be in the mid to low teens. Fish activity continues to be slow on most area lakes. Few people have been on the ice. Urban ponds are now being stocked with trout. Go to http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/TroutFishing.aspx to find out when and where. For more information, call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.
Brinker Lake
Anglers have been catching some crappie near the island fishing in 12-14 feet of water. Crappie - Fair: jig tipped with a wax worm or minnow is good for crappie.
George Wyth Lake
Anglers have been catching some crappie but it has been spotty. Crappie - Fair: jig tipped with a wax worm or minnow is good.
Martens Lake
Martens Lake has been hit or miss depending on the day. Bluegills have been the most productive. Concentrate efforts on the northwest portion of the lake and to the south as the season prolongs. Bluegill - Good: Jig tipped with a wax worm has been most productive for bluegill. Crappie - Fair: jig tipped with a wax worm or minnow is good for crappie.
Plainfield
Anglers are catching quality size bluegill near the north side of the lake in 12-14 feet of water, move often to locate active fish. Some occasional nice crappies have been taken. Bluegill - Good: Small black colored jigs tipped with a waxy seem to be most productive.
Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
As interior rivers begin to open up, take the opportunity to hit the deeper holes for overwintering walleyes. Walleye will feed very aggressively until spring spawn. Jigs tipped with a minnow and fished slowly off of the bottom has been a deadly combination. Walleye - No Report: A jig tipped with a minnow is a deadly combination.
Manchester District Streams
It is getting to be the time of year for spring thaw. Trout fishing opportunities can be really good when there is a slight rise in water levels and a little turbidity to the water, especially for brown trout. Spring Branch Creek in Delaware County offers a good population of brown trout and fish of quality size. Remember, there is a 14-inch minimum size limit on all trout and artificial lure only regulation on this stream. Brown Trout - Fair: Black midge imitations have been triggering active fish on Spring Branch Creek this past week.
Ice fishing remains fairly slow across the district, be sure to check other reports around the state for potential hot spots. Ice thickness still remains around 16-18 inches on most area lakes. Trout streams remain in excellent condition. For further information call the district office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Mississippi River Pool 9
Ice thickness is 12-15 inches in most areas. Anglers reported a little better fishing over the past week. Northern Pike - Fair: Anglers report pike are beginning to hit well on tip-ups. Bluegill - Fair: A few bluegill biting in Village Creek and by the Marina in Lansing with a lot of smaller fish. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Bass being caught on wax worms and some tip-ups. Crappie - Fair: A few nicer sized crappies reported in the Lansing area. Yellow Perch - Fair: Late winter warm ups sometimes trigger good perch fishing.
Mississippi River Pool 10
Ice thickness is 12-15 inches in most areas. Anglers reported a little better fishing over the past week. Anglers are crossing Johnson Slough in the Sny Magill area but anglers should still use caution. Stay to the well traveled path. Norwegian Lake has low oxygen levels pushing active fish closer to Wyalusing Slough. The boat ramp at Lynxville is closed with ice. Northern Pike - Fair: Anglers report pike are beginning to hit well on tip-ups. Bluegill - Fair: A few more bluegills are being caught on Bussey Lake and in lower ice lake near Wyalusing Slough. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Anglers catching bass on wax worms and some on tip-ups. Crappie - Fair: A few nicer sized crappies being caught in lower Ice Lake near Wyalusing Slough and Sandbar Slough in the Sny Magill. Yellow Perch - Fair: Late winter warm ups sometimes trigger good perch fishing. Greymore Lake near Prairie du Chien can be good for perch this time of year.
Mississippi River Pool 11
Ice thickness is 12-15 inches in most areas. Anglers reported a little better fishing over the past week. The boat ramps in Guttenberg are closed with ice. Bluegill - Fair: A few more bluegills being caught in Zollicoffers and Sunfish Lake. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Bass have been hitting on wax worms and some on tip-ups. Crappie - Fair: A few nice crappie still being caught in Zollicoffers and the marina above Mud Lake. Yellow Perch - Fair: Late winter warm ups sometimes trigger good perch fishing. Sunfish Lake can be good for nice sized perch.
Warmer temperatures have made fishing a bit more comfortable and anglers are reporting a little better bite over the past week. Ice in many areas is 12-15 inches but snow cover may insulate some areas, causing ice conditions to vary from place to place. Always use caution in any area that may have current or near edges where snow melt may have weakened ice. Boat ramps at Lynxville and Guttenberg are closed because of ice.
Mississippi River Pool 12
Fishing has mainly been reported as slow. As the weather warms, try Fish Trap Lake, Tippy's, Greens and Kehough. Massey marina has seen light fishing pressure. Spruce Creek marina by Bellevue was dredged to improve winter panfish habitat and some fish have been biting. In the spring, fish habitat will be added to the deeper holes. Ice anglers are marking fish but the bite is slow. Bluegill - Slow: Excellent bluegill numbers throughout Pool 12. During routine DNR surveys numerous large bluegills were collected, so we know the fish are out there. The few anglers that did fish this week reported the bite as slow but a some fish did bite during the numerous weather shift. Crappie - Slow: Lots of 8-9 inch crappies were seen in department surveys. Look forward to some quality fishing for this species although they can be quite fickle during the winter. Try small minnows. Yellow Perch - Slow: Some yellow perch are being incidentally caught while bluegill fishing. In some years good yellow perch fishing can be had on the back half of the ice fishing season.
Mississippi River Pool 13
Very few anglers were reported anywhere in Pool 13 this week. Some were fishing in Town Lake by Sabula and in the opening to Spring Lake by Savanna. Oxygen levels in the snow covered lakes are really concerning. Snow covered ice does not allow algae and aquatic plants to produce oxygen. Bluegill - Slow: The bluegill bite has slowed up greatly but a lot of fish are being marked on fishing graphs. Crappie - Slow: Crappies were abundant in fisheries surveys in 2013 and several year classes were noted. Yellow Perch - Fair: Often these fish are incidentally caught when bluegill fishing. Some yellow perch are up to 14 inches can be found at times. You can try a slightly larger minnow imitation lure or some folks like to use minnow heads to catch this species. A few reports of anglers catching some yellow perch so the normal late season bite might be starting.
Mississippi River Pool 14
Anglers were fishing at Rock Creek, Swedes, Camanche Harbor and Cattail Slough, but lately activity level has been sparse. Snow depth is hindering a lot of people from walking to their favorite holes. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegill numbers are outstanding this year in Pool 14, Rock Creek County Park by Camanche offers easy access to fishing and a great Environmental Center to warm up with coffee or hot chocolate. Crappie - Slow: Earlier there were some reports of crappies being caught out of cattail slough. The size has not been the best but we do have a very strong year class of 8-9 inch fish. Try small minnows for best results.
Mississippi River Pool 15
No report for Pool 15 as ice fishing options are limited on this pool.
This winter has been a tough on ice fishing and for the fish. Certainly plenty of ice and still could be a good bite ahead. Some lakes may be low in dissolved oxygen and an angler should move if they are not readily marking fish.
SOUTHEAST
Lake Geode
Warm weather and rain make for several inches of water and slush on the ice.
Lake Belva Deer
A couple days of 50 plus degree weather and rain all night Wednesday into Thursday has put several inches of water and slush on the lake. Next week's cold weather should fix that.
Pollmiller Park Lake
Several inches of water on top of the ice.
Lake of the Hills
Expect some water on top of the ice until we return to colder temps next week. Remember, Lake of the Hills is the only lake in West Lake Park where the use of live minnows for bait is legal. Rainbow Trout - Fair: Trout are starting to be caught again. Mostly being caught on wax worms and jigs. Bluegill - Good: Wax worms are the popular baits on ice jigs. The bite is picking up. Find the brush piles out the deeper water to find the fish. Crappie - Good: Crappies are also being caught off brush piles in deeper water and the bite is picking up.
Lambach Lake
The use of live minnows as bait is not allowed on this lake. Bluegill - Good: The bluegills are starting to bite. Some good numbers are being caught. Crappie - Good: Good sized crappies are being caught again with regularity.
For more information on the above lakes call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.
Kent Park Lake
Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow:
Lake Macbride
Most of the lake has 12-18 inches of ice. The area east of the causeway on the south arm has poor oxygen levels and is probably not worth fishing. Bluegill - Fair: Fish around any kind of brush or rock and chances are you will find bluegills. Unfortunately the size is marginal at best. Crappie - Slow: Crappie reports are tough to come by. Fish over/around brush or rock in 12-18 feet of water. Walleye - Slow: A few fish are being caught in the evening over rock piles.
Central Park Lake
Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow:
Pleasant Creek Lake
Much of the lake has 18 inches of ice. Sunset has been best. Bluegill - Fair: Look for fish around brush piles and use a jig/waxie. Walleye - Fair: A few fish are being caught right before/after dark. Fish are moving up to as little as 8 feet of water to feed at night.
Diamond Lake
Remember, no minnows are allowed. Channel Catfish - Slow: A few bonus catfish are being caught by panfish anglers. Bluegill - Fair: Fish around brush for 6-8-inch bluegills. Crappie - Fair: Look for suspended fish around brush. Most are running 8-10 inches. Walleye - Slow: A few bonus walleyes are being picked up occasionally.
Otter Creek Lake
Ice is close to 24 inches thick. Bluegill - Fair: Fish around brush in 10-15 feet of water with a jig and waxie. Average fish is 7-8 inches. Crappie - Slow: Yellow Bass - Fair: Fish 18-20 feet of water with a jig or spoon tipped with a waxie or cutbait. Average fish is about 10 inches.
Coralville Reservoir
Most of the lake has 12-18 inches of ice but caution should still be used. No voids under the ice have been found/reported. DO NOT go under the Mehaffey Bridge. The Corps has delayed the scheduled drawdown due to ice cover and lack of inflow. Bluegill - Fair: Average sized fish are being caught in and around brush. Crappie - Fair: Anglers that find the right brush pile on the right day are catching some nice crappies.
For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Red Haw Lake
Anglers report about 12 inches of ice. Try areas with 20 feet of water using small jigs tipped with a wax worm for bluegills. Fish about 1-2 feet off the bottom. Fishing around brush piles will also increase your catch.
Albia (lower)
Ice thickness range up to 10 inches in some areas. Fishing has been slow and the fishing pressure has been light. Look for the areas marked with buoys as they were placed over brush piles. Try small jigs tipped with a wax worm.
Lake Sugema
Ice thickness is 8-10 inches. Fishing has been slow with some anglers catching a few bluegills. Most anglers have been catching bluegills at Tug Forks West. Try small jigs tipped with a wax worm about 1-2 feet above the bottom. Concentrate on areas with submerged structure.
Rathbun Reservoir
Thicknesses of 8-12 inches of ice have been reported. Fishing has been slow and fishing pressure has been light. Try to find underwater structure and use small jigs tipped with a minnow. The current lake level is 904.14 feet. Don't forget Lake Rathbun contains zebra mussels so make sure to clean, drain, and dry equipment before transporting to another water body.
If you have other questions regarding fishing in south central Iowa call the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406.
SOUTHWEST
Big Creek Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Good size bluegills up to nine inches have been coming off the old rock piles and other habitat in the upper half of the lake. Crappie - Slow: The crappie bite has been slow to fair at times. Anglers are picking up a few 10-12 inch fish suspended in 30-40 feet of water in the main lake basin near the creek channel using live minnows or glow jigs with wax worms after dark. Walleye - Fair: The walleye catch over 15 inches has been better than in past years. Anglers fishing live minnows or jigging style minnow baits tipped with minnow heads are catching walleye in the main lake basin, especially if they can locate the rock humps.
Hickory Grove Lake
Bluegill - Fair: The best catches of bluegills have been coming off the lower third of the lake over habitat out from the points and around the island. The most active bite is occurring during the last hour of daylight. Habitat piles in depths of 15 feet or greater are holding better fish.
Hooper Area Pond
Bluegill - Good: Anglers are catching fair numbers of bluegills with occasional crappies in the lower half of the lake.
Lake Ahquabi
Bluegill - Good: Bluegill fishing over the sunken tree and rock piles has been good. Mid lake out from the northwest shoreline is a good area to start. Crappie - Good: Suspended crappies are being caught in the evenings after sunset mid lake in depths of 15 feet or greater using wax worms on glow jigs and live minnows.
Lake Petoka
Rainbow Trout - Fair: Trout were stocked Jan. 25. Trout remain to be caught using jigging spoons tipped with wax worms. The very clear water can allow for sight fishing during the day.
Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake
Rainbow Trout - Fair: Trout were stocked Feb. 8. Trout from the recent and November stocking remain for ice anglers in the north portion of Ada Hayden. Fish with small live minnows or jigging spoons tipped with wax worms in 15 feet of water or less. The east and south shorelines of the north portion are most productive.
Central Iowa ice is averaging around 19-22 inches with a layer of slush and water on the surface after recent warm weather and rains. For questions on fishing central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd or Andy Otting at 515-432-2823.
Greenfield Lake
There is a good panfish population in Greenfield. The large size of bluegill in the lake is 8-9 inches and crappie range from 8-12 inches. The lake has 12 inches of ice. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are being caught in 12-14 feet of water using wax worms. Fish are 7-8 inches. Crappie - Fair: Crappies can be caught around cedar tree piles using minnows. Late afternoon has been best.
Nodaway Lake
Anglers are reporting fair catches of bluegill. The lake has 12 inches of ice. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are beginning to pick up eight-inch bluegills with wax worms. The deeper brush piles are a good starting point. Crappie - No Report:
Littlefield Lake
Ice is 14 inches on the lake. There is a good year class of quality size crappies. Bluegill - Fair: Eight-inch bluegills can be caught in 8-10 feet of water with wax worms. Crappie - Slow: A few 10-12 inch crappies were caught using glow in the dark jig heads with minnows.
Lake Anita
Ice is 10-14 inches. Waterfowl have a large area of open water in the campground arm of the lake. Use caution when moving around in that area. Bluegill - Slow: Nine-inch plus bluegill are being caught on wax worms in the campground arm. Crappie - Slow: A few quality size crappie are being caught in the campground arm using minnows and wax worms. Late afternoon has been best.
Willow Lake
Willow reports 14 plus inches of ice. Bluegill - Slow: A few quality size bluegill are being caught on wax worms in 12 to 14 feet of water. Redear Sunfish - Fair: Quality size redears are being caught with wax worms over cedar tree piles.
Viking Lake
Viking Lake will provide good crappie fishing. The lake has 10-12 inches of ice. Waterfowl have a large portion of the lake open in the concession arm. Crappie - Fair: Fish around brush piles in 14-16 feet of water. It is a late afternoon to after dark bite. Use wax worms or minnows to catch crappies ranging from 9-11 inches.
Arrowhead Pond
Anglers are catching quality size bluegills. Ice is 12 inches thick. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills up to nine inches are being caught in 10 feet of water using wax worms.
Big Lake (Including Gilbert's Pond)
Fishing has slowed but anglers are still catching some trout. Rainbow Trout - Slow: Rainbow trout can be caught using a variety of ice fishing jigs with wax worms or minnows.
Lake Manawa
Lake Manawa has 10 inches of ice although there are unsafe areas on the lake. Anglers should avoid the Tin Can area and the east shore near the Mosquito Creek outlet tube. Crappie - Fair: Anglers are picking up a few crappies near the beach using minnows or wax worms. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Slow: An occasional wiper is being caught while crappie fishing. The fish reported were 14-16 inches.
Hacklebarney East
Hacklebarney 10-12 inches of ice. The lake supports a good panfish population. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills can be caught in 10 feet of water around brush with wax worms. Crappie - No Report:
Cold Springs District Farm Ponds
Farm ponds report 10-12 inches of ice. Anglers have reported good bluegill fishing in ponds this week. Remember to get permission before fishing privately owned ponds. Channel Catfish - No Report: Channel catfish can be a bonus catch while fishing for panfish on farm ponds. Bluegill - Good: Fish with small ice jigs tipped with wax worms to catch bluegill. Generally the deepest part of the pond is the best place to start looking for fish. Crappie - Fair: Larger ponds that support crappie populations can be good in the late afternoon using glow in the dark jigs with minnows or wax worms.
Ice conditions range from 10-12 inches in the southwest district. Warm weather and rain has potential to erode ice. Use caution and drill holes often when venturing out. For more information on lakes in southwest Iowa, call the district office at Cold Springs at 712-769-2587.
Lake Icaria
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having more than 14 inches. Most fishing activity is on the roadbed and along the channel off the beach point. Channel Catfish - Fair: Catfish up to four pounds have been caught using wax worms along the roadbed. Crappie - Fair: Crappies up to nine inches are being caught with minnows. Walleye - Slow: Walleyes are being caught with minnows near the bottom along the roadbed.
Grade Lake
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 14 inches or more. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills up to nine inches have been caught using wax worms near the bottom. Evenings have been best.
West Lake (Osceola)
Ice conditions have remained fairly consistent with most of the lake having 14 or more inches. Crappie - Fair: Crappies up to 8.5 inches are being caught on wax worms and minnows along the channel south of the dam.
Little River Watershed Lake
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 14 or more inches. Bluegill - Slow: A few bluegills up to eight inches have been caught with wax worms along the cedar tree piles and off the main point north of the dam.
Badger Creek Lake
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 14 or more inches. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills up to eight inches have been caught using wax worms along the roadbed. Crappie - Slow: Crappies up to eight inches have been caught using wax worms and minnows along the channel or roadbed in the main lake in the evenings.
Fogle Lake S.W.A.
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 14 or more inches. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill are being caught near the bottom on wax worms along the flooded timber. Crappie - Slow: Crappies up to 10 inches are being caught on minnows along the flooded timber in the evenings.
Mt. Ayr Old Reservoir
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 13 or more inches. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills up to eight inches have been caught with wax worms on the cedar tree pile just south of the dam. Crappie - Slow: Crappie up to nine inches have been caught using wax worms on the cedar tree pile just south of the dam.
Lake of Three Fires
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 14 or more inches of ice. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills up to nine inches are being caught near the bottom on wax worms from the cedar tree pile north of the dam. Crappie - Slow: Few crappies over 10 inches are being caught with wax worms and minnows from the cedar tree pile north of the dam and along the channel.
Sands Timber Lake (Blockton Reservoir)
The lake has been drained to allow the construction of a wetland near the upper end.
Wilson Park Lake
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 12 inches or more of ice. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills up to eight inches are being caught on wax worms near the cedar tree pile west of the dam. Crappie - Fair: Crappies up to 9.5 inches are being caught on wax worms and minnows near the cedar tree pile west of the dam.
Windmill Lake
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 12 inches or more of ice. Crappie - Fair: Crappies up to 8.5 inches have been caught on wax worms and minnows south of the dam and near the cedar tree pile in the middle of the lake.
Green Valley Lake
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 14 inches or more. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills 7-8.5 inches are being caught on wax worms near the bottom. Anglers that are willing to move are finding bluegills. Crappie - Slow: Crappies up to 10 inches are being caught using minnows and wax worms near the cedar tree piles.
Three Mile Lake
Ice conditions have remained fairly consistent with most of the lake having 14 or more inches. Crappie - Slow: Crappies up to 10 inches are being caught using minnows along the flooded timber. Walleye - Slow: Walleyes are being caught using minnows along the roadbed. Yellow Bass - Fair: Yellow bass are being caught with wax worms near the bottom along the channel and on the roadbed.
Twelve Mile Creek Lake
Ice conditions have remained fairly consistent with most of the lake having 14 or more inches. Bluegill - Fair: Big bluegills are being caught on wax worms and minnows near the bottom. People that are using minnows and are willing to keep moving have had the best luck. Crappie - Slow: Crappies up to 10 inches are being caught on minnows and wax worms along the channel and the roadbed. Walleye - Slow: Walleyes are being caught on minnows along the roadbed.
West Lake (Lenox)
Ice conditions have remained consistent with most of the lake having 12 inches or more. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills up to eight inches are being caught with wax worms along the dam. Crappie - Fair: Crappies up to 10 inches are being caught along the dam.
Fishing success has been variable on many lakes in the district. Ice conditions have remained consistent with most lakes having over 14 inches. Warmer temperatures and rain could impact the ice conditions. For more information, call 641-464-3108.
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