Take Dad Fishing for Father’s day
As we honor dad this weekend, give dad something he will always treasure – quality time together. Take dad fishing and create memories that you can relive every time you’re together.
“Going fishing together is an easy way parents can connect with their kids without the interruptions from all our mobile technology,” said Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Bureau. “Spending the day with our kids fishing and playing by the water, we can slow time down, if only for that moment, and create a memory that will last forever.”
Visit the Iowa DNR website at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing for tips on making the most of your fishing trip this Father's Day including fishing reports, fishing maps and great places to fish close to home.
FIshing Report:
SOUTHWEST
Don Williams Lake
Black Crappie - Good: The crappie population is strong at Don Williams this year. Most fish are 8-9 inches. They are not being caught close to shore. Slowly troll or drift 1/8 ounce jigs tipped with minnows or small white or chartreuse twister tails out from shore in 15-20 feet of water in the upper half of the lake. Crappies are suspended from 5 to 10 feet down.
Rock Creek Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: Crappie fishing is good. The crappie spawn is winding down; move out into the main lake and find offshore habitat or drift the main lake with small jigs and minnows.
Roberts Creek Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: Crappies are moving back off of the shore and post spawn patterns should emerge. Drift small jigs or spinners in the main lake.
Big Creek Lake
Walleye - Good: Walleyes are being caught trolling spinner rigs with minnows in 5-15 feet of water and jigging tipped with crawlers or minnows. Focus on the upper/shallow 1/3rd of the lake. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are shallow right now < 4 feet of water. Good size fish (8 - 9 inch) are being caught on small jigs tipped with crawlers fished under bobbers. Target aquatic vegetation or rip rap; don’t be afraid to cast right next to shore.
Hickory Grove Lake
Black Crappie - Fair: A fair to good crappie bite is going at Hickory Grove. They are being caught near the wood habitat, especially in the bays. Cast bright colored chartreuse panfish jigs or live minnows under a bobber close to treefalls and alongside the shoreline shrubbery that hangs out into the water. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are being caught shallow fishing small jigs tipped with wax worms or small pieces of crawler. Hickory Grove can produce some nice 7 to 8.5 inch bluegills.
Lake Ahquabi
Black Crappie - Fair: Few crappies are being caught shallow. Suspended fish are being picked up drifting or slow trolling 1/16 or 1/8 ounce jigs with twister tails in 10 feet or deeper water. Start out from the west shoreline or out from the face of the dam. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills can be caught near shore with small jigs tipped with a crawler under a bobber near treefalls on any of the rip-rap banks and in open pockets in the vegetation close to shore in 2-4 feet of water. Keep moving if you aren’t catching fish.
Ankeny Lake (DMACC)
Bluegill - Good: High numbers of 6-7.5 inch bluegills spawning close to shore right now can provide a good opportunity to introduce young anglers to fishing. Cast small pieces of crawler under a bobber just past the narrow band of vegetation around the edge.
Red Rock Reservoir
White Bass - Good: Hot weather will likely kick off a good white bass bite. Troll points and windblown shorelines with spoons and lipless crankbaits. Popular color patterns include chrome, chrome/blue and firetiger. Anglers casting jigs with spinners below the Roberts Creek outlet are doing well on white bass and are also catching the occasional crappie.
Bluegill fishing is good to excellent in Central Iowa lakes right now. For information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823.
Greenfield Lake
Greenfield Lake has a good panfish population. Bluegills are close to shore spawning. Black Crappie - Fair: Crappies can be caught drifting. Fish will average 9 inches. Channel Catfish - Fair: Greenfield is a good lake for catfishing. Cast shad sides or cut bait around jetties to catch fish averaging 2 pounds. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are spawning and can be caught on small jigs tipped with crawler. Fish are 8 inches.
Meadow Lake
Meadow Lake has good bluegill and crappie populations. Bluegills have moved up on underwater reefs to spawn. White Crappie - Slow: Meadow has a small population of large white crappie. Try around the jetties and underwater reefs to catch fish up to 14 inches. Black Crappie - Fair: Fish surveys indicate a large year class of black crappie in Meadow. They will average 8.5 inches. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are moving up on the reefs to spawn. Fish will average 8 inches.
Mormon Trail Lake
There is a big year class of 9 inch black crappies in Mormon Trail Lake that is expected to provide good fishing this year. The Lake also has good largemouth bass and catfish populations. Black Crappie - Fair: Try deeper brush piles for post spawn crappies. Fish will average 9 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills will spawn on the south side of the lake. Fish will average 8 inches. Largemouth Bass - No Report: The Lake has a good bass population.
Littlefield Lake
Littlefield has a good catfish population. Bluegills are close to shore spawning. Water clarity has improved. Channel Catfish - Fair: Anglers are catching catfish along the dam. Use cut bait or shrimp. Black Crappie - Fair: A few crappies are being caught drifting and casting cedar tree piles. Fish will average 10 inches. Bluegill - Good: Cast the shoreline to find spawning bluegills. Fish will average 8.5 inches.
Cold Springs Lake
Bluegills are spawning and largemouth bass are being caught around the lake. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are being caught next to the pump house and along the bluff. Fish will average 8 inches. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Cold Springs has a good bass population of all sizes. The lake has an 18 inch length limit on largemouth bass.
Lake Anita
Anglers are catching crappies on the vegetation edges all around the lake. Bluegills are spawning and close to shore. Black Crappie - Good: Cast jigs along vegetation edges and around underwater reefs. There is a large year class of 8 to 9 inch fish at this time. Bluegill - Good: Cast small jigs tipped with power bait to catch bluegills up to 9.5 inches. Anglers report good catches on the road bed. Largemouth Bass - Good: Largemouth bass can be caught along vegetation lines all around the lake. Fish are all sizes.
Willow Lake
Bluegills and redears are spawning at Willow. The lake has excellent water clarity. Bluegill - Fair: Spawning fish are hard to get close to with such good water clarity. Find beds and cast from a long distance to catch bluegills averaging 8.5 inches. Redear Sunfish - Fair: Use a whole crawler under a bobber to catch redear up to 12 inches. Channel Catfish - Fair: Channel catfish are being caught late afternoon and after dark on cut bait.
Viking Lake
Largemouth bass fishing is good at Viking. Crappies can be caught around the underwater reefs and in brush piles. Water clarity is good. Channel Catfish - Fair: Cast shad sides or cut bait on the edge of vegetation. Fish will average 2 pounds. Black Crappie - Fair: Drift or cast to brush piles using jigs tipped with crawler or power bait to catch 8 to 10 inch crappies. Largemouth Bass - Good: Viking has a good bass population. Cast swim baits or plastics along vegetation and around structure to catch fish of all sizes.
Prairie Rose Lake
Anglers report catching spawning bluegills on the underwater reefs and gravel spawning beds placed in the lake. Prairie Rose water clarity is good. Bluegill - Good: Quality size bluegills can be caught on top of underwater reefs and pea gravel spawning beds placed in the lake during the renovation. Tip small black jigs with power bait or a crawler. Largemouth Bass - Good: Prairie Rose has many 10 to 12 inch bass in the lake at this time. Channel Catfish - Fair: Anglers are beginning to pick up 12 to 14 inch channel catfish on night crawlers under a bobber.
Lake Manawa
Anglers are still catching a few crappies. Catfish are picking up on the south and west side of the lake. White Crappie - Slow: Crappies have moved off shore. Cast jigs or minnows under a bobber on the lake side of the canals. Fish will range in size up to 12 inches. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes can be caught drifting crawlers or slow trolling crankbaits on the south side of the lake. Channel Catfish - Good: Anglers are catching catfish with cut bait and Sonny’s dip bait on the west side of the lake close to shore. Fish will average 2 pounds.
Cold Springs District Farm Ponds
Water clarity has improved in most ponds after heavy rains in May. Always get permission before fishing private ponds. Black Crappie - Fair: Anglers reported large catches of crappies using jigs and minnows under a bobber. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are spawning and close to shore in many ponds. Channel Catfish - Fair: Cast shad sides or cut bait in the upper ends of ponds. Largemouth Bass - Good: Largemouth bass are hitting a variety of lures and soft plastics.
This is a good time to get out and fish in the southwest district. Bluegills are spawning and anglers report good bass and catfishing. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587
Lake Icaria
Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill up to 8.5 inches have been caught with jigs fished near cedar tree brush piles or the fishing jetties. Walleye - Fair:
Walleyes of all sizes have been caught using jigs fished near main lake points. Channel Catfish - Fair: Channel catfish of all sizes have been caught with night crawlers fished near rocky shoreline areas.
Little River Watershed Lake
Walleye - Fair: Walleye up to 20 inches have been caught trolling night crawler harnesses along main lake points. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill up to 9 inches have been caught with night crawlers fished near cedar tree brush piles. Channel Catfish - Fair: Channel catfish of all sizes have been caught using night crawlers fished along rocky structure or near the flooded timber.
Lake of Three Fires
Largemouth Bass - Fair: Largemouth bass up to 19 inches have been caught with jigs fished along the weed line. Bluegill - Good: Bluegill up to 8 inches have been caught using night crawlers fished near cedar tree brush piles.
Green Valley Lake
Largemouth Bass - Fair: Largemouth bass up to 19 inches have been caught with crankbaits or finesse plastics fished along rocky structure or cedar tree brush piles. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills up to 8.5 inches have been caught using night crawlers fished near cedar tree brush piles.
Three Mile Lake
Largemouth Bass - Slow: A few largemouth bass have been caught with crankbaits fished near cedar tree brush piles or the flooded timber.
Twelve Mile Creek Lake
Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills up to 10 inches have been caught using night crawlers fished near cedar tree brush piles or along weed lines. Walleye - Fair: Walleye of all sizes have been caught with spinners fished along the roadbed.
Water temperature in Mount Ayr district lakes is in the mid-70’s to low 80’s. For more information, please contact the Mount Ayr Fisheries office at 641-464-3108.
Missouri River (Sioux City to Little Sioux)
Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait, stink bait or crawlers fished on the bottom. Shovelnose sturgeon - Slow: Crawlers fished on the bottom work best. Flathead Catfish - Fair: Use live chubs fished in current breaks near deeper water.
Missouri River (Little Sioux to Council Bluffs)
Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait, stink bait or crawlers fished on the bottom. Flathead Catfish - Fair: Try live chubs fished in current breaks near deeper water. Shovelnose sturgeon - Slow: Use crawlers fished on the bottom.
Missouri River (Council Bluffs to Missouri State Line)
Channel Catfish - Fair: Try cut bait, stink bait or worms fished on the bottom. Blue Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait. Flathead Catfish - Fair: Use live chubs fished in current breaks near deeper water.
The Missouri River at Decatur, Nebraska is at 22.28 ft. /33,900 cfs./ 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The Missouri has risen 0.68 feet from last week. Missouri River levels and water conditions are looking very good to get out and fish. The water temperature increased by 6 degrees from last week.