Mississippi River Fishing reports - Pools 16-20

[Rick]

Have fun checking all the info below and let's swap info. We'd hope to hear from you too.

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Mississippi River Pool 16

River stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 8.13 feet. River stage is forecast to fall throughout the weekend. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on leeches and dead minnows fished around wing dams. Some channel catfish are also being caught along the Moline River front (pool 15). White Bass - Good: White bass are being caught in Sylvan Slough and on the wing dams on in-line spinners or casting jigs and minnows. Bluegill - Good: Bluegill fishing has been good in Sunset Marina on small worms and minnows. Largemouth Bass - Fair: A few largemouth bass are being caught in Sunset Marina on crankbaits and spinner baits. They are also being caught in the Andalusia Island backwater complex. Crappie - Good: Crappies are being caught in the Andalusia Island backwater complex on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Larger crappies are being caught in deeper water off brush piles while smaller fish are being caught up shallow. Crappies are also being caught in Sunset Marina fishing minnows under bobbers around the public docks. Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pool 17

River stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 7.17 feet and forecast to fall throughout the weekend. The ramp at Big Timber is open. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and farm ponds. Channel Catfish - No Report: Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught in the backwaters floating minnows under a bobber. Areas to try are Big Timber and Eagle Fill. Sauger - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pool 18

River stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 9.79 feet and forecast to fall over the weekend. Channel Catfish - No Report: White Bass - Fair: A few white bass are being caught in the side channels on jigs and twisters with a minnow. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are being caught in the backwaters on small worms. Crappie - Good: Crappies are being caught in the backwaters on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pool 19

River stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 6.84 feet and falling. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers. Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pools 16-20: River levels have been falling steadily over the past few days. River levels are forecasted to fall throughout the weekend.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 16

River stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 7.11 feet. Channel catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, and dip baits around wing dams. White bass - Fair: White bass fishing has been hit or miss. Some fish are being picked up in Sylvan Slough and on the wing dams on crankbaits and casting jigs/twister combinations. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill fishing has slowed down some in Sunset Marina. Some fish are still being picked up on worms and small minnows. Largemouth bass - Fair: Largemouth bass are being caught in the Andalusia Island Complex on crankbaits and pitching soft plastics around brush piles. Crappie - Good: Crappies are being caught in the Andalusia Island backwater complex on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Crappie fishing in Sunset Marina has slowed down some. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits around the wing dams along Credit Island. Walleye fishing has been slow in Sylvan Slough

Mississippi River Pool 17

River stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 5.97 feet. The ramp at Big Timber is open. Channel catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on crawlers and dip baits. Some channel catfish are being caught along the Muscatine Riverfront on night crawlers. White bass - Fair: White bass fishing has been hit or miss. Some fish are being caught up by the dam and on the wing dams on crankbaits and jigs/twister combinations. Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught in the backwaters floating minnows under a bobber. Areas to try are Big Timber and Eagle Fill. Walleye - Fair: Some walleyes are being caught on crankbaits and three-way rigs with crawlers fished on the wing dams.

Mississippi River Pool 18

River stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 8.08 feet. Channel catfish - Good: Channel cats are being caught on night crawlers and leeches fished around the wing dams. White bass - Good: White bass are being caught in the tailwaters of Lock and Dam 17 on jigs and twisters with a minnow and small crankbaits. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are being caught in the backwaters on small worms. Crappie - Good: Crappies are being caught in the backwaters on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Sauger - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pool 19

River stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 4.95 feet. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers. Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pools 16-20: With recent rains, river levels are forecasted to rise slightly over the next few days then begin falling by the end of the weekend. Main channel water temperature is 68 degrees.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 16

River stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 7.08 feet and forecasted to fall. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, and dip baits around wing dams. Some channel catfish are also being caught floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. White Bass - Fair: White bass fishing has been hit or miss. Some fish are being picked up in Sylvan Slough and on the wing dams on crankbaits and casting jigs/twister combinations. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill fishing has slowed some in Sunset Marina. Some fish are still being picked up on worms and small minnows. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Largemouth bass are being caught in the Andalusia Island Complex on crankbaits and pitching soft plastics around brush piles. Crappie - Good: Crappies are being caught in the Andalusia Island backwater complex on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Crappie fishing in Sunset Marina has slowed down some. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits around the wing dams along Credit Island. Walleye fishing has been slow in Sylvan Slough

Mississippi River Pool 17

River stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 5.82 feet. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver. Some channel catfish are being caught along the Muscatine Riverfront on night crawlers. Some channel catfish are starting to be caught on leeches under bobbers along rocky shorelines. White Bass - Fair: White bass fishing has been hit or miss. Some fish are being caught up by the dam and on the wing dams on crankbaits and jigs/twister combinations. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are being caught in Big Timber on pieces of worm floating under a bobber. Some sorting will be required. Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught in the backwaters floating minnows under a bobber and on tube jigs. Areas to try are Big Timber and Eagle Fill. Walleye - Fair: Some walleyes are being caught on crankbaits and three-way rigs with crawlers fished on the wing dams.

Mississippi River Pool 18

River stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 8.58 feet. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel cats are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken livers. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. White Bass - Good: White bass are being caught in the tailwaters of Lock and Dam 17 on jigs and twisters with a minnow and small crankbaits. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are being caught in the backwaters on small worms. Crappie - Good: Crappies are being caught in the backwaters on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Sauger - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pool 19

River stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 5.47 feet. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches and night crawlers under a bobber along the riprap shoreline at Ft. Madison. Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pools 16-20: River levels have been steady over the past few days. Water clarity throughout the pools is poor due to recent rains. Main channel water temperature is 68 degrees.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 16

River stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 6.97 feet and forecasted to stay steady over the next few days. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, and dip baits around wing dams. Some channel catfish are also being caught floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. Some channel catfish are being picked up along the Davenport Riverfront. White Bass - Fair: White bass fishing has been hit or miss. Some fish are being picked up in Sylvan Slough and on the wing dams on crankbaits and casting jigs/twister combinations. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegill fishing has slowed down some in Sunset Marina. Some fish are still being picked up on worms and small minnows. Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing in the backwaters has slowed down. Sauger - Fair: A few saugers are being picked up on the wing dams while trolling crankbaits for walleyes. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits around the wing dams throughout the pool.

Mississippi River Pool 17

River stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 5.42 feet and forecasted to stay steady over the next few days. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver. Some channel catfish are being caught along the Muscatine Riverfront on night crawlers. Some channel catfish are starting to be caught fishing leeches under a bobber along riprap shorelines. White Bass - Slow: White bass fishing has been hit or miss. Some fish are being caught up by the dam and on the wing dams on crankbaits and jigs/twister combinations. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are being caught in Big Timber on pieces of worm floating under a bobber. Some sorting will be required. Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught in the backwaters floating minnows under a bobber and on tube jigs. Areas to try are Big Timber and Eagle Fill. Walleye - Fair: Some walleyes are being caught on crankbaits and three-way rigs with crawlers fished on the wing dams.

Mississippi River Pool 18

River stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 7.78 feet and forecasted to stay steady over the next few days. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel cats are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. White Bass - Good: White bass are being caught in the tailwaters of Lock and Dam 17 on jigs and twisters with a minnow and small crankbaits. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are being caught in the backwaters on small worms. Crappie - Good: Crappies are being caught in the backwaters on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Sauger - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pool 19

River stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 5.47 feet. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken livers. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches and night crawlers under a bobber along the riprap shoreline at Ft. Madison. White Bass - Slow: A few white bass are being picked up by the dam casting jig and twister tails. Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pools 16-20: River levels have been steady over the past few days and forecasted to stay steady over the weekend. Main channel water temperatures are around 71 degrees. There is a Bassmasters Elite Series River Rumble Tournament out of Ft. Madison June 11-14 fishing pools 17-21.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 16

River stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 7.94 feet and falling. River levels are forecasted to fall throughout the weekend. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, and dip baits around wing dams. Some channel catfish are also being caught floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. Some channel catfish are being picked up along the Davenport Riverfront. Fishing has also been good for catfish in Andalusia Slough and Velie Chute fishing brush piles. White Bass - Slow: White bass fishing in Sylvan Slough has been slow. Bluegill - Slow: Fishing for bluegills has been slow in Sunset Marina and the Andalusia Island complex. Crappie - Slow: Fishing for crappies in Sunset marina and the Andalusia Island complex has been slow. Sauger - Slow: Fishing has been difficult on the wing dams due to muddy water conditions. Walleye - Slow: Walleye fishing on the wing dams has been difficult due to muddy water conditions.

Mississippi River Pool 17

River stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 7.44 feet and falling. River levels are forecasted to fall throughout the weekend. Fishing has been difficult due to muddy water conditions. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver along the Muscatine Riverfront on night crawlers. Some channel catfish are starting to be caught fishing leeches under a bobber along riprap shorelines. White Bass - Slow: White bass fishing has been hit or miss. Some fish are being caught up by the dam and on the wing dams on crankbaits and jigs/twister combinations. Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - No Report: Walleye - Slow: Walleye fishing on the wing dams has been difficult due to muddy water conditions.

Mississippi River Pool 18

River stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 10.76 feet and falling. River levels are forecasted to fall throughout the weekend. Fishing has been difficult due to high and muddy water. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel cats are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. White Bass - No Report: Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - No Report: Sauger - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pool 19

River stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 7.97 feet and falling. River levels are forecasted to fall throughout the weekend. Fishing has been difficult due to high and muddy water. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches and night crawlers under a bobber along the riprap shoreline at Ft. Madison. White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pools 16-20: Water levels are beginning to fall throughout pools 16-20 of the Mississippi River. Main channel water temperature is around 80 degrees and water clarity is poor.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 16

River stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 6.54 feet and falling. River levels are forecasted to fall throughout the weekend. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, and dip baits around wing dams. Some channel catfish are also being caught floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. Some channel catfish are being picked up along the Davenport Riverfront. Fishing has also been good for catfish in Andalusia Slough and Velie Chute fishing brush piles. White Bass - Slow: White bass fishing in Sylvan Slough has been slow. Bluegill - Fair: Some bluegills are being caught in Sunset Marina on pieces of worm fished under a bobber. Crappie - Slow: Fishing for crappies in Sunset marina and the Andalusia Island complex has been slow. Sauger - Fair: Some saugers are being picked up on the wing dams trolling crankbaits or on three-way rigs with half a night crawler or leech. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits on wing dams. Some fish are being picked up on three-way rigs with half a night crawler or leech fished on the front side of wing dams.

Mississippi River Pool 17

River stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 5.32feet and falling. River levels are forecasted to fall throughout the weekend. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver fished around wing dams or log jams. Some channel catfish are being caught along the Muscatine Riverfront on night crawlers. Some channel catfish are starting to be caught fishing leeches under a bobber along riprap shorelines. White Bass - Slow: White bass fishing has been hit or miss. Some fish are being caught up by the dam and on the wing dams on crankbaits and jigs/twister combinations. Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - No Report: Walleye - Fair: Some walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits along the fronts of wing dams. Anchoring above wing dams and casting crankbaits has been producing some fish as well.

Mississippi River Pool 18

River stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 7.65 feet and falling. River levels are forecasted to fall throughout the weekend. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel cats are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. White Bass - Slow: A few white bass are being picked up by the dam fishing jig and twisters and small crankbaits. Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - No Report: Sauger - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pool 19

River stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 4.63feet and falling. River levels are forecasted to fall throughout the weekend. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver fished around wing dams and log jams. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches and night crawlers under a bobber along the riprap shoreline at Ft. Madison. White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pools 16-20: River levels are forecasted to continue to fall throughout pools 16-20 of the Mississippi River. Main channel water temperature is around 77 degrees and water clarity has improved.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 16

River stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 5.48 feet. Tailwater stage has risen slightly over the past few days. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, and dip baits around wing dams. Some channel catfish are also being caught floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. Some channel catfish are being picked up along the Davenport Riverfront. Fishing has also been good for catfish in Andalusia Slough and Velie Chute fishing brush piles. White Bass - Slow: White bass fishing in Sylvan Slough has been slow. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are being caught in the backwaters floating pieces of worm or small minnows under a bobber. Areas to try are Sunset Marina and the Andalusia Island Complex. Crappie - Slow: Fishing for crappies in Sunset Marina and the Andalusia Island complex has been slow. Sauger - Fair: Some saugers are being picked up on the wing dams trolling crankbaits or on three-way rigs with half a night crawler or leech. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits on wing dams. Some fish are being picked up on three-way rigs with half a night crawler or leech fished on the front side of wing dams.

Mississippi River Pool 17

River stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 4.59 feet. Tailwater stage has risen slightly over the past few days. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver fished around wing dams or log jams. Some channel catfish are being caught along the Muscatine Riverfront on night crawlers. Some channel catfish are being caught fishing leeches under a bobber along riprap shorelines. White Bass - Slow: White bass fishing has been hit or miss. Some fish are being caught up by the dam and on the wing dams on crankbaits and jigs/twister combinations. Bluegill - Fair: Some bluegills are being caught in Big Timber floating pieces of worm or small minnows under a bobber. Crappie - No Report: Walleye - Fair: Some walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits along the fronts of wing dams. Anchoring above wing dams and casting crankbaits has been producing some fish as well.

Mississippi River Pool 18

River stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 6.06 feet. River stage has risen slightly over the past few days. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel cats are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches under a bobber along rocky shorelines. White Bass - Slow: A few white bass are being picked up by the dam fishing jig and twisters and small crankbaits. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are being caught in the backwaters on pieces of night crawler or a small minnow floating under a bobber. Crappie - No Report: Sauger - Fair: A few saugers are being picked up while fishing for walleyes on the wing dams. Walleye - Fair: A few walleyes are being caught trolling crankbaits on the wing dams. Some are also being caught on three-way rigs with half a night crawler fished in front of the wing dams.

Mississippi River Pool 19

River stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 3.33 feet. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers, leeches, dip baits, and chicken liver fished around wing dams and log jams. Some channel catfish are starting to be picked up floating leeches and night crawlers under a bobber along the riprap shoreline at Ft. Madison. White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Fair: A few walleyes are being picked up on the wing dams around Burlington trolling crankbaits and on three-way rigs tipped with half a night crawler.

[JIvers]

I fished the Mississippi yesterday morning between Muscatine and the Quad Cities--did decent, considering the low flow.

I caught three walleye between 16" and 22.5", along with a 17" sauger, off of some time-tested wing dams. A couple of white bass and a redhorse came off them, too.

I also got my share of eating-sized channel cat, along with a 22" male still showing his spawning colors and scars.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 16

River stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 4.06 feet. Channel Catfish - Slow: Channel catfishing has slowed down but some fish are being caught on night crawlers, shrimp, crawdads, and stink baits around wing dams and log piles. White Bass - Slow: Bluegill fishing has been slow. Crappie - Fair: Crappie fishing in the backwaters is starting to pick up. Some crappies are starting to be caught around the Andalusia Islands fishing brush piles with small minnows or tube jigs. Walleye fishing has been slow but a few fish are being caught on wing dams using three-way rigs tipped with half a night crawler or a leech. Some fish are also being caught casting crankbaits on the wing dams. With the low flow, look for wing dams with deeper water and fish more towards the tip of the dam.

Mississippi River Pool 17

River stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 3.30 feet. Channel Catfish - Slow: Channel catfishing has slowed down but some fish are being caught on crawlers, dip baits, and chicken liver fished around wing dams and log piles. White bass fishing has been slow. Bluegill fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Crappie - Fair: Some crappies are being caught in Big Timber fishing around brush piles along the bank on minnows. Some crappies are also being caught in the Muscatine Harbor. Walleye fishing has been slow but some fish are being caught on the wing dams using three-way rigs tipped with half a night crawler or leech. Some fish are also being caught casting crankbaits to the wing dams.

Mississippi River Pool 18

River stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 3.84 feet. Fishing for channel catfish is slowing down. Some fish are being caught on night crawlers, cut shad, dip baits, and chicken liver fished above wing dams and around log piles in the main channel or side channels. White bass fishing has been slow. Bluegill - Fair: Some bluegills are being picked up fishing jigs and small minnows around brush piles in the backwaters. Crappie - Fair: Some crappies are being caught on jigs and small minnows fished around brush piles in the backwaters. Walleye fishing on the wing dams has been slow.

Mississippi River Pool 19

River stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 1.67 feet. Fishing for channel catfish has been slowing down. Some fish are being caught on night crawlers, cut shad, dip baits, and chicken liver fished above wing dams and log piles in the main channel or side channels. White bass fishing has been slow. Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - Slow: Some crappies are starting to be caught around brush piles in the backwater areas on minnows. Walleye fishing has been slow on the wing dams.

Mississippi River Pools 16-20: River levels are low so take caution when boating. Main channel water temperature is around 65-66 degrees.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 16

Tail water stage is 7.83 feet and has been slowly falling over the past few days. As of Thursday, the Marquette St. ramp still had ice at the boat ramp. Some ice fishing is being done in Sunset Marina. Ice anglers are reminded that fluctuating river stages, above freezing temperatures and snow cover can create poor ice conditions. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are being caught in Sunset Marina on small ice jigs and wax worms. Most fish have been on the small side. Largemouth Bass - No Report: Crappie - Slow: Some crappies are also being caught in Sunset Marina on small ice fishing jigs and wax worms. Sauger - No Report: Boat ramp still frozen in. Walleye - No Report: Boat ramp still frozen in.

Mississippi River Pool 17

Tail water stage is 6.64 feet. As of Thursday, the main channel and boat ramps were frozen in at Muscatine. Ice fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Most ice fishing reports are coming from lakes and farm ponds. Anglers are reminded that fluctuating river stages, above freezing temperatures, and snow cover can make for poor ice conditions. Bluegill - Slow: Fishing has been slow in Big Timber. Most of the bluegills that are being caught have been on the small side. Big Timber has variable ice thicknesses of 4 to 6 inches. Big Timber also has some areas with water and slush sitting on the ice due to recent warmer temperatures. Anglers should use extreme caution when ice fishing in Big Timber. Crappie - Slow: Sauger - No Report: Tail waters not accessible by boat. Walleye - No Report: Tail waters not accessible by boat.

Mississippi River Pool 18

Tail water stage is 10.64 feet. Tail waters are not accessible for walleye and sauger fishing. The main channel is frozen in and river levels remain high. Most ice fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Ice anglers are reminded that fluctuating river levels, snow cover, and above freezing temperatures may create poor ice conditions in the backwaters. Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Sauger - No Report: The tail waters at New Boston are not accessible. Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pool 19

Tail water stage is 5.43 feet. Boat ramps are frozen in. Ice fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Most ice fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Ice anglers are reminded that fluctuating river levels, above freezing temperatures and snow cover can create poor ice conditions. Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - No Report: Sauger - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pools 16 to 20: As of Thursday, all tail waters in pools 16 to 19 were not accessible by boat. Most ice fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Ice anglers are reminded that fluctuating river levels, above freezing temperatures and snow cover can create poor ice conditions. Some of the backwaters have areas with water sitting on the ice due to recent warm temperatures. Ice anglers should take extreme caution when fishing the backwaters.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 16

Tail water stage is 6.61 feet and has been slowly falling over the past few days. Anglers have been able to launch boats at the Marquette St. ramp in Davenport. With recent freezing rains the ramp could have ice on it. Check ramp conditions before launching your boat. Some ice fishing is being done in Sunset Marina with the best bites occurring at sunrise and sunset. Ice anglers are reminded to use extreme caution when ice fishing in the backwaters. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are being caught in Sunset Marina on small ice jigs and wax worms. Most fish have been on the small side. The best bites have been early in the mornings or right before dark. Largemouth Bass - No Report: Crappie - Slow: Some crappies are also being caught in Sunset Marina on small ice fishing jigs and wax worms. Sauger - Good: Sauger fishing has been good on jigs and minnows in Sylvan Slough. Walleye - Good: Some walleyes are being caught in Sylvan Slough on jigs and minnows.

Mississippi River Pool 17

Tail water stage is 5.85 feet. Tail waters at Muscatine have not been accessible by boat. Ice fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Most ice fishing reports are coming from lakes and farm ponds. Anglers are reminded that fluctuating river stages, above freezing temperatures, and snow cover can make for poor ice conditions Bluegill - Slow: Fishing has been slow in Big Timber. Most of the bluegills that are being caught have been on the small side. Big Timber has variable ice thicknesses of 4 to 6 inches. Big Timber also has some areas with water and slush sitting on the ice due to recent warmer temperatures. Anglers should use extreme caution when ice fishing in Big Timber. Crappie - Slow: Some crappies are being caught in Big Timber fishing along the drop-offs in to deeper water. Sauger - No Report: Tail waters not accessible by boat. Walleye - No Report: Tail waters not accessible by boat.

Mississippi River Pool 18

Tail water stage is 10.00 feet. Tail waters are not accessible for walleye and sauger fishing. Most ice fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Ice anglers are reminded that fluctuating river levels, snow cover, and above freezing temperatures may create poor ice conditions in the backwaters. Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Sauger - No Report: The tail waters at New Boston are not accessible. Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pool 19

Tail water stage is 5.58 feet. Boat ramps are frozen in. Ice fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Most ice fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Ice anglers are reminded that fluctuating river levels, above freezing temperatures and snow cover can create poor ice conditions. Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - No Report: Sauger - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pools 16 to 20: This past week, anglers have been able to launch boats in Pool 16 at the Marquette St. Ramp in Davenport before the freezing rain. With recent freezing rains the boat ramp could be covered in ice. Check ramp conditions before launching a boat. Tail waters in Pools 17 to 19 have not been accessible by boat. Most ice fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Ice anglers should take extreme caution when ice fishing the backwaters.

[Joe]

Mississippi River Pool 16

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 8.29 feet. Fishing has been slow. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Channel Catfish - Slow: White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Slow: Fishing for bluegills in backwaters has been slow. Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught in Sunset Marina on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Crappie fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pool 17

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 7.41 feet. The gates are beginning to be put back in the water at the dam. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Channel Catfish - Good: There are reports of channel catfish being caught at GPC on dip baits and crawlers. White Bass - Slow: White bass fishing has been slow. A few fish are being picked up along the Muscatine Riverfront casting jigs and twisters. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegill fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes are being caught on the wing dams towards the dam. A few fish are also being picked up along the Muscatine Riverfront casting jigs and twisters.

Mississippi River Pool 18

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 10.03 feet. The Toolesboro ramp is open. Fishing has slowed down this past week. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Channel Catfish - Slow: White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: A few crappies are being picked up in the backwaters on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pool 19

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 7.01 feet. River conditions have fallen but the water is still muddy. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Channel Catfish - Fair: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers fished along the bottom. White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

[Joe]

Mississippi River Pool 16

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 7.42 feet. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on crawlers, leeches and dip baits fished on the bottom. Places to try are Sunset Marina, the Davenport Riverfront, Sylvan Slough, and the mouth of the Rock River. White Bass - Good: White bass are being caught casting small crankbaits and jigs/twisters in Sunset Marina and up by the Lock and Dam. Fishing is usually best early in the morning or right before dark. Bluegill - Slow: Fishing for bluegills in backwaters has been slow. Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Fair: Walleyes are starting to be picked up on the wing dams on jigs/minnows or by pulling three-way rigs with a floating crankbait.

Mississippi River Pool 17

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 5.94 feet. Channel Catfish - Good: There are reports of channel catfish being caught at GPC on crawlers. White Bass - Fair: White bass fishing has been fair. A few fish are being picked up along the Muscatine Riverfront casting jigs and twisters. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegill fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes are being caught on the wing dams towards the dam. A few fish are also being picked up along the Muscatine Riverfront casting jigs and twisters. Some walleyes are also being picked up by GPC on large minnows and leeches.

Mississippi River Pool 18

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 8.38 feet. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are being caught on crawlers, dip baits, and shad guts. White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Fair: A few bluegills are being picked up in the backwaters floating a piece of crawler under a bobber. Crappie - Fair: A few crappies are being picked up in the backwaters on jigs and minnows or floating minnows under a bobber. Walleye - Fair: There are reports of some walleyes being caught on wing dams on jigs and minnows or by pulling crankbaits on three-way rigs.

Mississippi River Pool 19

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 5.30 feet. Most fishing reports are coming from area lakes and ponds. Channel Catfish - Fair: Channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers fished along the bottom. White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Slow: Crappie - Slow: Walleye - Slow:

[Joe]

Mississippi River Pool 16

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 7.82ft and rising. Channel Catfish - Slow: White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Slow: Fishing for bluegills in backwaters has been slow. Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Sauger - Slow: Walleye - Slow: Walleyes are starting to be picked up on the wing dams on jigs/minnows or by pulling three-way rigs with a floating crankbait.

Mississippi River Pool 17

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 6.40 feet and rising. Channel Catfish - Slow: White Bass - Slow: A few fish are being picked up at GPC casting jigs and twisters. Bluegill - Slow: Some bluegills are being caught in Big Timber on redworms floating under a bobber. Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing in Big Timber has been slow. Walleye - Slow: Walleye fishing on the wing dams has been slow. Walleye fishing at GPC has been slow as well.

Mississippi River Pool 18

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 9.01 feet and rising. Channel Catfish - Slow: White Bass - Slow: Bluegill - Slow: Bluegill fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing in the backwaters has been slow. Walleye - Slow:

Mississippi River Pool 19

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 7.26 feet and rising. River stage for Lock and Dam 18 is forecasted to reach 11.6 feet by the weekend. Flood stage is 10 feet. Channel Catfish - No Report: White Bass - No Report: Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

[JIvers]

I made it over to Pool 16 above Muscatine for the first time since 2009 (!) today, and fished some wing dams on the main channel for walleye. Note that I said "fishing" for walleye, not "catching" walleye.

The river levels had just dropped to where some of my favorite wing dams should produce, but trolling crankbaits along the face of the dams and pitching them across the front produced nothing. The two other boats who were out there ahead of me this morning might have had something to do with that, although I didn't see either one catch anything. I just have to get up earlier next time.

Crawlers fished in front of the dams produced lots of small sheepshead, but nothing else. Whether due to me getting there too late or something else altogether, the walleye and sauger were not cooperating today.

My backup plan when I fish wing dams around the Quad Cities and Muscatine in the summer is to bring stinkbait and catch channel catfish, and that brought home dinner again today. Problem was the cats preferred Sonny's Blood Bait today, and I was pretty much out of it. If I'd had more blood bait I would have caught even more channel cat, but it was just that kind of day.

The Mississippi down here should keep dropping, and that will open up more spots for walleye fishing, so I expect to have some good days fishing for them in the next month or two.

[JIvers]

The Mississippi dropped enough to allow me to take a rare day off and hit the river near Muscatine today.

I was hoping for walleye, but I got a late start and my favorite walleye/sauger dams had boats already on them. So I shifted gears and fished for channel cat.

Early on nightcrawlers produced smaller channel cat and a lot of sheepshead, and as the sun rose stink bait started catching larger channel catfish.

I forgot to but more regular Sonny's, so I was restricted to using blood formula, but that seemed to work alright. My biggest cat of the day was a 24", with plenty in the eating-sized range. I brought home between two and three lbs. of filets, but easily could have had more than that.

It was nice to be out on the river again, even if the walleye weren't available. I'm hoping to get over to the Muscatine-Quad Cities stretch of the Mississippi a couple more times before summer is done.

[JIvers]

I somehow hadn't fished the wing dams below Davenport and Moline since 2013 until last weekend, when I got my boat over there. I was hoping for walleye and sauger, but the water levels were low enough to move them off the wing dams and make finding numbers of them difficult. I caught a 14" sauger on a JSR5, but otherwise had no luck with that tribe of fish, which is what the IDNR fishing report indicated would be the case.

I did have some good luck on other species though. LOTS of small to eating-sized channel cat when I fished crawlers or blood-based stinkbait.

One on my favorite walleye/sauger dams under higher water conditions also gives up some nice flathead catfish at times. When I got to that dam right at sunrise  the flathead were hitting crawlers, with the largest of those a 26" fish in the pictures below. Someday I need to bring live chubs or fresh shad on one of these trips to see if I can get some larger flatcats.

Fishing crawlers also gave me what was the biggest buffalo I have ever gotten, the 39" beast shown here.  

The rain last weekend brought the flow up a bit, and I am hoping to do a little better over that way tomorrow for walleye and sauger. If not, the channel cat should be more concentrated on the wing dams than they were last weekend. Channel cat are a reliable fallback on the Mississippi down here: this is Iowa, after all. 

[hnd]

we fished a few wing dams on credit island around the same time.  we got a few good catfish bites but yes, we could not find saugers/walleye at all. 

[JIvers]

Yeah, by all accounts late summer was not good for walleye and sauger around the Quad Cities.

Fall is about here, though, and the fish will be moving up to the tailwaters soon.

[hnd]

yeah we moved from sunset all the way up into the slough and found nice walleyes shallow whereever we found baitfish.  we took home 6  17-19" eyes has 1 slot and threw back about 5 shorts.  also caught whitebass, smallies, and pike in those locations.  overall a great day.  this was the 24th i believe.   a buddy was out trolling on 16 and only caught a few yesterday.

 

[JIvers]

Heading for one of the tailwaters in Iowa on Sunday.