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Rain, Rain, Rain. That's what you will be dealing with if you head out fishing this weekend. You may want to pack warmer clothes too, as the temps will be unseasonably cool. Not much we can do about any of that, so fish anyways. We'll help with the weekly Iowa DNR Fishing Report for the weekend of 4/28/17

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Currently, the river is fishable and water levels are falling. Visit https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/rt for current water level information. Water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50's. Walleye - Good: Try a jig tipped with a minnow or nightcrawler below dams in the pockets. Channel Catfish - Fair: Shore anglers are using dead chubs or shad fished under a bobber.

Decorah District Streams
The road to Decorah Fish Hatchery will be under construction through June. Rainfall amount through the weekend will determine how muddy streams get. Call 563-927-5736 for current stocking locations. Use jigs tipped with twister tails, feathered spinnerbaits, or flashy spoons. Use a nightcrawler to catch a freshly stocked fish. Brook Trout - Fair: Use scuds or stonefly imitations for fish not rising to the surface. Brown Trout - Fair: A great time to fish for brown trout is when water turns off color from rainfall events. Try caddis fly and midge larvae imitations hatching off the water. Nice hatches of blue wing olives and dark hendricksons are occurring on warmer sunny afternoons. 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
Cooler weather predicted for the weekend may slow the bite. Boat anglers are finding fish in deeper water. Bluegill - Fair: Catch gills moving into shallower water with a small jig. Let it sink and slowly reel it in. Channel Catfish - Slow: Use cut baits on windblown rocky shorelines. Black Crappie - Slow: Warmer shore temperatures are drawing crappies in. Use a hook tipped with a minnow under a bobber. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try a jerk bait fished slowly over rock piles.

Lake Meyer
Water clarity is improving. Find the latest hot spots on Iowa DNR's fishing atlas. Set your GPS coordinates to WGS84 to key in to your structure preference. Bluegill - Slow: Use a small jig with a slow retrieve. Channel Catfish - Slow: Try a dead chub or crawler along a rocky windblown shoreline. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use jig tipped with a nightcrawler or bright colored plastic tail. Use a slow retrieve in cooler water.

Turkey River (above Clermont)
Water levels are falling and temperatures are in the mid to upper 50's.  Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Try a jig tipped with a minnow or feathered spinnerbait around a current break. Walleye- Fair: Try a jig tipped with a soft plastic twister tail. Use a slow retrieve in cooler water. White Sucker - Excellent: The sucker bite is on. Try a hook tipped with a nightcrawler fished off the bottom. Black Crappie - Good: Let a small jig sink in a slack water area and slowly reel it in.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water levels are falling with temperatures in upper 50's. Visibility is improving. Visit https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/rt for current water level information. Walleye - Fair: Try a blade bait or bigger crankbait near coldwater tributaries. Brown Trout - Fair: Use spinnerbaits near the mouths of 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.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water levels are falling and temperatures are in the upper 50's. Visibility is improving. The sucker bite is on.  Walleye - Slow: Try spinnerbaits and jerk baits along rocky shorelines. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Use jigs tipped with nightcrawlers or ringworms. Try also bright colored twister tails. White Sucker - Good: Use a hook with a worm and enough weight to get the worm to the bottom.

Volga Lake
Volga Lake State Park staff and volunteers placed about 40 cedar trees in five locations and added a rock field this week. Find fish attracting structure locations on the Iowa DNR's fishing atlas. Bluegill - Slow: Use small jigs tipped with waxworm along a sunny shoreline. Black Crappie - Slow: Panfish anglers should start to see fish in shallow water. Try a hook tipped with a small minnow under a bobber. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use dead minnows or other dead fish along windblown shores to attract a cruising cat. Largemouth Bass - Good: Try a jig tipped with a twister tail. A slow retrieve is key in cooler weather.

Wapsipinicon River (state line to Tripoli)
We have received no information about fishing on this water body this week. Northern Pike - Good: Use spoons or hook tipped with a chub.

Daytime temperatures will be in the low 50's with mid 30's overnight. Rainfall amounts through Sunday will determine stream conditions for the weekend. Anglers must get a landowner's permission to fish private property, even if it can be accessed through public property. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.


Brinker Lake
Largemouth Bass - Good: Cast crankbaits or spinner baits.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Walleye - Fair: Use jig and minnow combinations in eddies or slack water areas off of main flow. Smallmouth Bass - Excellent: Try jig and minnow combinations in rip-rap or rocky shoreline areas. Many anglers will catch smallmouth while fishing for walleye. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Use dip baits and cut baits fished on the bottom. Northern Pike - Fair: Try bucktail spinners or live bait fished under a bobber.

Heritage Pond
Heritage Pond was stocked with trout April 22nd. Rainbow Trout - Fair: Try various trout baits under a bobber or cast and retrieve "flashy" spinner baits.

Manchester District Streams
Trout stockings are under way in the Manchester District area trout streams. Stocking calendars are available online on the DNR website.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
Walleye - Good: Try jig and minnow in eddies or slack water areas off of main. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Use jig and minnow combinations in rip-rap or rocky shoreline areas. Many anglers will catch smallmouth while fishing for walleye.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
Walleye - Fair: Try jig and minnow combinations in eddies or slack water areas off of main flow. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Use jig and minnow in rip-rap or rocky shoreline areas. Many anglers will catch smallmouth while fishing for walleye.

Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
Walleye - Fair: Use jig and minnow combinations in eddies or slack water areas off of main flow. Northern Pike - Fair: Cast bucktail spinner baits or float a live shiner or chub under a bobber. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Try jig and minnow combinations in rip-rap or rocky shoreline areas. Many anglers will catch smallmouth while fishing for walleye.

Fishing reports are fair to good for walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and channel catfish on the interior rivers. Black Hawk County lakes are providing some crappie also. Area trout streams are in excellent condition, contact the N.E. District Office at 563-927-3276 for more information.

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