DNR - Fishing report for week ending June 26, 2019

DES MOINES - The following is the weekly fishing report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for southeast Iowa.

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 has dropped another 6 inches; it's about 3 foot below bank full level now. Channel Catfish - Good: Now that it’s easier to safely get out on the river, the water remains more than deep enough to get a boat back to the fish.

Lake Belva Deer
The water is still a little cloudy. Water temperature is in 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 
The lake level came back up after the weekend's heavy rains. Water clarity stayed about 3 feet. Water temperature is right around 74 degrees. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Find bass in the post-spawn hideout around the thicker cover in 6-8 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; find them along the shorelines in the rip-rap. 

Lost Grove Lake
Water clarity is still a little cloudy; it would help if the rains were a little less frequent.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. Channel Catfish - Fair: Catfish are wrapping up spawning activities. 

Skunk River (Rose Hill to Coppock)
The Skunk River is holding pretty steady right now. Upstream the North and South Skunks are starting to drop again.Channel Catfish- Good: The mulberry trees are starting to ripen; find a good one overhanging the water and you will find catfish and carp ready to bite.

For more information on the above lake, call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.

Cedar Lake
Bluegill - Good: There are lots of 6-7 inch fish along the shore. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Fish plastics along shorelines.

Coralville Reservoir 
The lake level as of June 20 is 696.5 feet (normal summer pool is 683 feet) and is slowly falling. . It is predicted to reach normal pool around July 4th. The Macbride ramp and West Overlook ramps are now open. Channel Catfish – Slow.

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 mid-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: Try fishing around the weed edges and shallow rock/weed. Channel Catfish - Fair: Fish around shallow rock for spawning fish.

Pleasant Creek Lake 
Walleye - Slow: Evenings are best. Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs or worms in shallow pockets. Muskellunge – Slow. White Bass - Fair: Fish windblown points during the day or look for surface feeding fish towards evening.

Rodgers Park Lake
Bluegill - Good: Fish are up shallow spawning now. Small jigs and worms work best. Largemouth Bass – Slow.

For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Hawthorn Lake
Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try rubber worms or spinnerbaits along the rock jetties and the face of the dam. Channel Catfish - Fair: Try dead chubs or nightcrawlers in 4-8 feet of water. Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs tipped with a waxworm. Sorting is needed for larger fish.

Lake Miami
Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs around the rock jetties and shorelines. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use rubber worms or spinnerbaits around the fishing jetties and along the face of the dam. Try also topwater lures in the mornings and evenings. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use nightcrawlers or chicken liver around the rocky shores.

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. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use chicken liver or dead chubs along the rocky shores.

Lake Wapello
Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait or dead chubs along the rocky shores. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try rubber worms or spinnerbaits around rock jetties and submerged cedar trees. Bluegill - Fair: Try small jigs along the shorelines. 

Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 913.06 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 along the shorelines. 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.

Mississippi River Pool 19
Tailwater stage is 12.40 feet at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington and is falling. Flood stage is 10 feet at Lock and Dam 18. River stage is 17.19 feet at Burlington and flood stage is 15 feet. River stage at Fort Madison is 529.24 feet and flood stage is 528 feet. Many of the boat ramps are closed due to flooding. We have not received any fishing report information for this pool this week due to the high water conditions. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19 contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.