Cedar River (above Nashua)
Notes: Repairs to the Nashua dam are complete. Water levels remain low with excellent clarity.
Walleye – Good: Cooler temperatures are bringing on the bite. Fish have moved into deeper holes. Be prepared to run your lure near bottom of pools. Use live bait for best luck.
Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Use a minnow on a hook under a bobber in the back eddies and deeper pools with little current.
Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Walleye – Good: Cast and retrieve large running crankbaits for active fish; concentrate on the deeper overwintering holes.
Decorah District Streams
Rainbow Trout – Good: Use flies imitating midges, crickets and mayflies; the smaller the better. Use hair jigs, spinnerbaits or small shallow water crankbaits for aggressive fish. Plenty of fish remain in streams over winter.
Brown Trout – Fair: Trout nests or redds are appearing on stream bottoms as spawning activity ramps up; avoid stepping on these areas. Brownies may be slow to take bait. A keen eye and a fly box filled with a variety of sizes and colors will help match a hatch.
Brook Trout – Fair: Brookies are coloring up to prepare for the spawn. Walk around freshly cleared areas in the stream bottom; these are trout nests or redds. Use small flies imitating midges, minnows or mayflies.
Lake Hendricks
Notes: The campground is closed for the year and water is shut off. The rock reef fish habitat project is complete.
Bluegill – Slow: Shore anglers will find fish around the jetties. Use a small piece of worm under a bobber.
Largemouth Bass – Slow: Use a jig and a minnow around rocky structure.
Black Crappie – Slow: Try a hook tipped with a minnow under a slip bobber.
Lake Meyer
Bluegill – Slow: Use a small hook tipped with a small piece of worm under a bobber from shore.
Largemouth Bass – Slow: Try a jerk bait; a slow retrieve works best with cooler water.
Turkey River (below Clermont)
Walleye – Good: Use a jig tipped with a minnow or crankbait in deeper holes and log jams. Fish deeper for walleye holding near the bottom.
Smallmouth Bass – Fair: Try a variety of brightly colored lures in eddies or along rocky ledges.
Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Walleye – Good: Use a lure imitating a shiner or sucker fished in the deeper pools with little current.
Smallmouth Bass – Good: Try live bait fished around current breaks or impoundments.
Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Walleye – Good: Use a jig tipped with a minnow or bright colored twister tail fished in deep holes with little current.
Smallmouth Bass – Fair.
Volga Lake
Bluegill – Slow: Use a small hook and piece of worm under a bobber. Wait for the bobber to go under the water, then give the line a quick jerk to set the hook. Keep the rod tip up to put tension on the line while reeling in the fish.
Largemouth Bass – Fair: Slowly troll a lure over fish attracting structure and get ready to set the hook. Try jerkbaits or a jig with a twister tail.
Black Crappie – Fair: Try a minnow fished under a bobber around rocky shorelines or submersed woody habitat.
Area rivers remain low with excellent clarity on most. Temperature highs in the 60’s with lows in the 50’s. Breezy over the weekend. Iowa’s hunting seasons are in full swing; wear plenty of orange. For current fishing information, please call the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.
Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
The boat ramp is closed for repair and replacement. The dock is still in; you can fish off the dock, but can’t launch a boat.
George Wyth Lake
The boat ramp access for George Wyth Lake remains closed; all other boat ramps within George Wyth Park are open.
Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
Walleye – Good: Cast and retrieve large running crankbaits for active fish.
Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
Walleye – Good: Cast and retrieve large running crankbaits for active fish.
Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
Walleye – Good: Cast and retrieve large running crankbaits for active fish.
Northern Pike – Good: Larger spinnerbaits are working well on the Upper Wapsipinicon River.
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