Black Hawk Lake
Water temperatures are in the mid 70s. Water levels are 2 inches above spillway. Water clarity is about 12 inches. Black Crappie – Fair: Pick up crappie in and around the fish house in Town Bay and along Ice House Point shoreline. Crappie are up to 10- to 12-inches. Morning and evening bite are best. Bluegill – Slow: Try a nightcrawler under a bobber fished from the fish house or around the rock piles. Largemouth Bass – Slow. Walleye – Slow: Try the submerged rock piles in the east basin and the shoreline along Ice House Point.
Brushy Creek Lake
Water temperatures are in the mid-70s. Black Crappie – Fair: Find crappie in 10-15 feet of water. Bluegill – Slow: Find bluegill near submerged rock/brush piles in 5-15 feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try soft plastics in deeper weedlines and rock/brush piles in 8-15 feet of water. Walleye – Slow: Pick up walleye in 10-15 feet of water on rock/brush piles. Yellow Perch – Fair
North Twin Lake
Water levels are about 12 inches below the crest of the spillway. Surface water temperatures are in the mid 70s. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try fishing from shore in 2-6 feet of water near rocky structure. A recent survey showed good numbers of 16-inches to 24-inches fish.
Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake)
Water temperatures are in the low to mid-70s. Black Crappie – Slow. Channel Catfish – Fair. Largemouth Bass – Slow. Walleye – Fair: Pick up walleye off shore near the dredge cuts; use a crawler harness or crankbaits. White Bass – Fair. Yellow Bass – Fair.
Water temperatures are in the mid 70s in most area lakes. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.
Beeds Lake
Black Crappie – Good: Drift fish or troll small jigs along the north shore. Bluegill – Fair. Yellow Bass – Slow.
Clear Lake
Water level is about 1 inch below crest. Water temperatures are mid-70s. Water clarity is 20 inches. Channel Catfish – Slow: Try fishing rock reef areas and wind-swept shorelines. Best bite after sunset. Walleye – Fair: Anglers are catching walleye with live bait and crankbaits. Fish are in 3 to 8 feet of water. Try rock reefs areas and near edge of vegetation. Yellow Bass – Fair: Anglers are catching a few yellow bass while targeting walleye. Live bait below slip bobbers or drifting works best.
Crystal Lake
Black Crappie- Fair: Drift fish or troll small jigs in the dredge cut. Bluegill – Fair. Walleye – Fair: Try fishing near vegetation edges and along the old roadbed.
Rice Lake
Bluegill – Slow. Largemouth Bass – Good: Try fishing woody habitat. Morning bite best. Walleye – slow.
Winnebago River
River level is 5.2 feet. Smallmouth Bass – Fair.
For information on lakes and rivers in north central Iowa, contact Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
East Okoboji Lake
Lake level is around 2 inches over crest. Black Crappie – Good: Bluegill – Good: Many bluegill seen, easily catchable around functional docks. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are a little ways off shore; you can still find some around docks and other structure. Yellow Perch – Good: Many perch seen; sorting most likely needed.
Ingham Lake
Walleye – Fair: Anglers success morning and afternoon.
Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Lake level is below crest. Lake outlet boards broken during high water this summer, but now replaced. Lake is experiencing an algae bloom. Walleye – Good: Bite hit-or-miss, but very good when bite is on.
Spirit Lake
Lake level is around 1 inch over crest. Black Crappie – Good: Anglers finding quality-size crappie; biting on almost anything. Bluegill – Fair. Walleye – Good: Anglers are catching quality-sized walleye. Evening bite best with leech and bobber from shore or crankbaits and slip bobbers by boat. Yellow Perch – Good: Sorting may be needed.
West Okoboji Lake
Lake level about 2 inches above crest. Black Crappie – Fair: Bluegill – Good. Pumpkinseed – Good. Walleye – Fair. Yellow Perch – Fair: Sorting may be needed.
Water levels are barely above crest and water temperatures are in the low to mid 70s. Many area lakes are currently experiencing algae blooms.
For current conditions, call the Spirit Lake District Office at 712-336-1840.