Big Hollow Lake
Water clarity continues to improve, but is still cloudy. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Anglers are picking up a few bass in 5 to 6 feet of water around the flooded timber. Bluegill - Good: Anglers had been picking up pretty good numbers of bluegills before last week’s heavy rains; a few nice dry days of weather should bring that fishing back. Black Crappie - Fair: Look for crappies out in the trees and brush piles in 6 to 7 feet of water.
Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River)
The Iowa River has finally gotten back in its bank, but only by a foot or two.
Lake Belva Deer
Water remains cloudy, especially by Belva Deer standards. Cool nights have dropped water temperature into the mid-70's. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Look for bass around the mounds in the deeper water at the upper end and back in the flooded timber in the lower half of the lake. Bluegill - Fair: Work your way into the openings in the weed beds to find some nice bluegills.
Lake Darling
Water continues to clear up; water clarity is about 2.5 feet, but is still cloudy. Water temperature is right around 74 degrees. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Find bass in the post-spawn hideout around the thicker cover in 3-5 feet of water around the rock piles. Bluegill - Good: Find bluegills on the beds, as well as in around 4-6 feet of water around brush and rock piles. Channel Catfish - Fair: Catfish are spawning; can find them along the shorelines in the rip-rap.
Lost Grove Lake
Water conditions are returning to normal clarity and level. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Anglers continue to catch bass; work them out along the edges of the weed beds and around the trees and brush piles in 4-6 feet of water. Black Crappie - Fair: Anglers are starting to pick up a few more crappies around edges of the flooded timber in 8 to 10 feet of water. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills continue to spawn. Look for them in the openings in the weed beds and in small clearings in shallow water in the brush.
Skunk River (Rose Hill to Coppock)
The Skunk River continued to drop this week and is now half bank full. Channel Catfish- Fair: Little angler activity this week, but channel catfish are spawning; work the high cut banks and around the root wads of the trees in the water.
For more information on the above lake, call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.
Coralville Reservoir
The lake level as of June 13 is 701 feet (normal summer pool is 683 feet) and is slowly falling. Mehaffey Bridge is the only ramp open.
Diamond Lake
Channel Catfish - Good: Stink bait works best. Black Crappie - Fair: Try deeper brush with worms or small jigs. Black Crappie - Fair: Try deeper brush or drift the basin with jigs for suspended fish.
Hannen Lake
Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are spawning. Nice sized fish can be caught in the shallows. Largemouth Bass – Fair. Black Crappie - Slow: Look for suspended fish around deeper brush. Numbers are low, but size is good.
Lake Macbride
Only outboards 10 hp or less may be operated on the lake. Water temperatures are in the upper 70's. Walleye - Fair: Troll or cast in 8-10 feet of water. Black Crappie - Slow: Try minnows or jigs in deeper brush piles or stumps. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Cast crankbaits or swimbaits along windblown rock or rock breaks. Topwaters can work early and late in the day. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Fish around shallow wood or rock. Channel Catfish - Fair: Fish around shallow rock for spawning fish.
Pleasant Creek Lake
Walleye - Fair: Evenings are best. Bluegill - Good: Use small jigs or worms in shallow pockets. Black Crappie – Slow. Muskellunge – Fair.
For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.
Hawthorn Lake
Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try rubber worms or spinnerbaits around the rock jetties and the face of the dam. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try dead chubs or nightcrawlers. Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs tipped with a waxworm. Sorting is needed for larger fish.
Lake Miami
Black Crappie - Fair: Try jigs tipped with a minnow around the submerged trees. Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs around the rock jetties and shorelines. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use rubber worms or spinnerbaits around the fishing jetties and along the face of the dam.
Lake Sugema
Largemouth Bass - Good: Try spinnerbaits or crankbaits in areas with rip-rap. Black Crappie - Fair: Use jigs tipped with a minnow around the flooded timber and submerged structure. Keep moving until you find active fish. Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs tipped with a waxworm or chunk of nightcrawler around the shoreline.
Lake Wapello
Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs along the shorelines. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait or dead chubs. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try rubber worms or spinnerbaits around rock jetties and submerged cedar trees.
Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 915.22 msl. Normal operating elevation is 904.0 msl. The lake's water level has dropped about 2 feet in the last week. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels, so make sure to properly drain, clean, and dry equipment before transporting to another water body. Channel Catfish - Good: Try cut bait or shad sides in areas with flowing water. Black Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing has slowed with recent rains; it has been very hit and miss. Try jigs and minnows along rocky shores and around structure. Sorting is needed for larger fish. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Good: Anglers have been successful trolling crankbaits along rocky shores. Walleye - Slow: Try trolling over submerged points or along rocky shores.
Red Haw Lake
Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait or dead chubs. Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs fished around the shores and submerged structure. Tip your jig with a waxworm. Largemouth Bass - Good: Try rubber worms or spinnerbaits around brush piles and other submerged structure.
The district includes Mahaska, Lucas, Wayne, Monroe, Appanoose, Wapello, Davis and Van Buren counties. Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa.
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