Fishing Report for the Weekend of June 23rd

An absolutely awesome weekend is in store for us this weekend, with highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's, which will make for a great time to get out and do some fishing. We can help too, with the Iowa DNR 'Fishing Report' for the weekend of June 23rd.

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Water clarity is improving with temperatures in the mid 70's. Water levels bumped up with recent rain. Visit https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/rt for current water level information. Walleye - Good: Try a jig tipped with a minnow or twister tail below dams in the pockets or around brush piles. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Use dead chubs or stink bait fished from shore under a bobber. Find fish in brush piles and backwater areas. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Smallmouth are hitting a variety of lures.

Decorah District Streams
Streams conditions are good. Wild parsnip is in full bloom. Wear light clothing to protect exposed skin from this plant's effects. Call 563-927-5736 for catchable trout stocking locations. Use jigs tipped with twister tails, feathered spinnerbaits, or flashy spoons. Use a nightcrawler to catch a freshly stocked fish. Brook Trout - Good: Use mayfly, caddis fly and small gnat imitations for the hatching insects. Brown Trout - Good: Off color water is a great time to fish for brown trout. Try caddis fly and mayfly imitations hatching off the water. Use leach or streamer patterns for more aggressive fish. Rainbow Trout - Good: Fish rainbow trout in the head end of riffles. Slowly pull a black bead head fly with a light colored scud or midge dropper through the upper and lower ends of pools for trout in deeper water.

Lake Hendricks
Clean off your boat trailer before you leave the boat ramp. Boat anglers are finding fish over structure in deeper water. Bluegill - Good: Use a small jig tipped with a small piece of crawler fished under a bobber. Channel Catfish - Good: Crawlers or stink bait work best as water temperatures rise. Fish around stumps and other woody structures. Black Crappie - Slow: Use a hook tipped with a minnow under a bobber. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use a jig tipped with a plastic twister or top water lure.

Lake Meyer
Water clarity is good. Water temperatures are in the low 70's. Clean off your boat trailers and drain boats before you move to another water body. Find the latest hot spots on the Iowa DNR's fishing atlas. Set your GPS coordinates to WGS84 to key in to your structure preference. Bluegill - Fair: Use a small jig tipped with a small piece of worm under a bobber in shallow water. Channel Catfish - Good: Use stink baits with warmer temperatures or a crawler fished on the bottom. Dawn and dusk are best. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use frog or mouse topwater lures fished along the weed beds. Overcast, windy days are best. Black Crappie - Slow: Catch crappie in the evening in shallow water along a rocky shoreline. Try deeper water in the daytime. A minnow or artificial scented baits fished under a bobber will catch a nice fish. Northern Pike - Fair: Try a spinnerbait for a pike hanging in 1 to 4 feet of water.

Turkey River (above Clermont)
Water levels are slowly rising with recent rain. Water temperatures in the mid to upper 70's. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Try a jig tipped with a minnow or feathered spinnerbait around a current break. Walleye - Fair: Use a jig tipped with a soft plastic twister tail or minnow. White Sucker - Good: Try a hook tipped with a nightcrawler fished off the bottom.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water levels are stable with temperatures in the mid 70's. Visibility is good. Visit https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/rt for current water level information. Walleye - Good: Try a jig tipped with natural colored twister tails or small crankbait near coldwater tributaries. White Sucker - Good: Use a worm with enough weight for it to sit on the bottom. Watch your rod tip. When it bends, set the hook. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Catch smallies in the off channel areas. A variety of lures are working now.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water levels are falling with temperatures in the mid 70's. Visibility is excellent. Bank anglers should toss a lure upstream and let it float through the current along a ledge or current seam.  Walleye - Good: Use jig tipped with a minnow or plastic twister tail fished around brush piles or coldwater tributary mouths. Lots of 8- to 10-inch fish in the creel. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Use a variety of spinnerbaits. White Sucker - Good: Try a hook with a worm and enough weight to get the worm to the bottom. Channel Catfish - Good: Morning bite is best; use crawlers and stink baits.

Volga Lake
Water temperatures are rising. Find fish attracting structure locations on the Iowa DNR's fishing atlas. Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs tipped with small piece of nightcrawler or red worm fished deep. Black Crappie - Fair: Find crappie hovering over submersed trees or cruising open water. Use a hook tipped with a small minnow under a bobber. Channel Catfish - Good: Start using stink baits as temperatures rise. Late evenings are best.
Largemouth Bass - Fair: Bass fishing has been hit and miss. Try a spinnerbait or a top water lure.

Temperatures will be in the low 70's with a chance for storms each day. Evenings should cool into the low 50's. Area rivers and streams are relatively stable, but recent rain may cause a bump in levels. Water clarity is good and water temperatures are rising. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
The Cedar River has been producing catches of walleye, smallmouth bass and channel catfish. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Try live bait or artificial crankbaits on areas of rock habitat. Walleye - Fair: Use a jig tipped with a night crawler or artificial crankbaits in eddies or current breaks below fallen trees or log jams. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try dead cut baits or stink baits.

Manchester District Streams
Trout streams remain in excellent condition as long as heavy rains hold off for the upcoming weekend.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
The Maquoketa River has been producing catches of walleye, smallmouth bass and channel catfish. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Try live bait or artificial crankbaits in areas of rock habitat. Walleye - Fair: Use a jig tipped with a nightcrawler or artificial crankbaits in eddies or current breaks below fallen trees or log jams. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try dead cut baits or stink baits.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
The Shell Rock River has been producing catches of walleye, smallmouth bass and channel catfish. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Try live bait or artificial crankbaits in areas of rock habitat. Walleye - Fair: Use a jig tipped with a nightcrawler or artificial crankbaits in eddies or current breaks below fallen trees or log jams. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try dead cut baits or stink baits.

Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
There have been no reports for the Wapsipinicon River this week, but should provide good opportunities for smallmouth bass, walleye and channel catfish.

Interior river levels remain in good condition and should be good for the upcoming weekend if we don’t get heavy rains this evening. Lake fishing has slowed as most fish species have completed spawning.Trout fishing conditions are excellent and June is a great month for good hatches of caddis. Contact the N.E. District Office at 563-927-3276 for more information.