The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issues a weekly fishing report on Thursdays in an effort to provide the latest information heading into the weekend. The weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys, and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report.

Northwest

Spirit Lake and Minnewashta (Dickinson): Yellow perch fishing has been good at both lakes using small jigs over the weed beds and rock reefs. Walleyes are being caught at the North Grade on a jig and minnow, twistertail or crankbait.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Walleyes are being caught fishing near the Hwy. 9/71 Bridge and the Upper Gar Bridge using a jig and minnow.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac):  Fishing is good for channel catfish under the inlet bridge on a variety of baits.  Best time is when wind is blowing from the south.  Fishing is fair for small bluegill and crappie off the west stone pier using small jigs tipped with wax worms.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Anglers are catching yellow bass and white bass around the McIntosh Woods sandbar and in front of the Regular Baptist Camp. Waders and boat anglers are catching yellow bass and white bass in shallow water using night crawlers, minnows, and cut bait. The Ventura Grade is producing yellow bass, white bass, and an occasional walleye using minnows and jigs.

For more information on fishing in northwest Iowa, call the regional office in Spirit Lake at 712-336-1840.

Northeast

Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: The Mississippi River is still very low going into the early winter and it is easy to back trailers into the blow holes created at the end of the boat ramp. Try putting trailers in the minimum amount of water needed to launch your boat.

Walleye and sauger fishing is good in the tailwaters near Lock and Dams 10 (Guttenberg), 11 (Dubuque), 12 (Bellevue) and 13 (Clinton). Jigs or three-way rigs with minnows have been producing. Sauger catch rate and size have been increasing over the past week. A few quality-sized walleye are also being reported. While the tailwater fishing at Lynxville has been slower, more anglers are catching walleye off of the wing dams and sloughs near Harpers Ferry (Pool 10) and wing dam fishing has improved in other pools as well.

Smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing is good to excellent casting crank baits off of points and breaks in Pools 9 through 11.

Bluegill fishing is very good in the backwaters and side channels in Pools 12-15. Fish a plain hook or jig tipped with a minnow under a bobber around snags. Hot spots have been Frentress and Tippy Lakes (Pool 12), Crooked Slough, Lanesville Slough, Brown’s Lake, South Sabula Lake and Spring Lake (in Pool 13), or Rock Creek area in Pool 14.

Crappie fishing is good to excellent in Pools 9 through 15 in the brush piles in backwater areas like Minnesota Slough near New Albin (Pool 9), Joyce Lake near Harpers Ferry (Pool 10), Frentress and Tippy Lakes (Pool 12), Crooked Slough, Lanesville Slough, Brown’s Lake, South Sabula Lake and Spring Lake (in Pool 13), and Rock Creek area (Pool 14). Try using small jigs or minnows on a bare hook for crappies or tie your boat up to the snag and vertically jig a small jig and minnow. Crappie fishing has begun to pick up near Guttenberg in Swift Slough and Cassville Slough (Pool 10).

cbass. Walleye and smallmouth can be caught in the deeper pools with a slow moving presentation.

For information on fishing in northeast Iowa, call the regional office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.