Dubuque Area Mississippi

[FishNightmare]

I have been looking for the current water temperatures on pools 11-13. Does anyone know the current temps.

[Rick]

Mississippi River Pool 9

Tail water stage at Lansing is 8.2 feet and expected to rise rapidly to 12 feet by next week. Ice conditions are deteriorating making it unsafe to ice fish. Sauger - Good: For anglers venturing into Minnesota and Wisconsin waters the sauger bite at the Genoa dam has been good with heavy fishing pressure.

Mississippi River Pool 10

Tail water stage at Lynxville is 15.2 feet. River levels are predicted to rise rapidly to near 22 feet by next week. Ice conditions are deteriorating making it unsafe to ice fish. Sauger - Good: The tail waters still have a lot of current due to the high water going into the winter. This has made fishing for sauger challenging as they may not be staging in their normal locations. Walleye - Fair: Some smaller walleyes are being caught on jig and minnow.

Mississippi River Pool 11

Guttenberg tail water stage is 8.2 feet. River levels are expected to rise rapidly to near 13 feet by next week. Ice conditions are deteriorating making it unsafe to ice fish. Sauger - Good: Some sauger are being caught in the tail water on jigs and minnows or three-way rigs. Walleye - Fair: A few smaller walleyes are being reported mostly being caught on three way rigs or jig and minnow.

Ice conditions are deteriorating making it unsafe for ice fishing. River levels are expected to rise rapidly over the next week. Many areas are predicted to rise 6 feet by this time next week. Those wishing to fish walleye and sauger should go soon before high river levels make it hard to find fish. With the rapid rising water boaters should be cautious for floating debris and ice.

Mississippi River Pool 12

The river level at Dubuque is 9.4 feet and expected to rise to 12.5 feet by noon March 21. Tail water fishing is occurring with good success. A few reports of ice fishing, but with warming weather use extreme caution. Sauger - Excellent: Fishing in the tail waters are yielding fish using a jig and minnow combo and three-ways tipped with a minnow. Walleye - Excellent: Fish are being caught using jig and minnow combos as well as three ways. Some are dragging stick baits with varied success.

Mississippi River Pool 13

River level at Bellevue is 7.9 feet and expected to rise to 10.9 feet by March 21 at noon. No reports of ice fishing were available. Sauger - Excellent: Fishing in the tail waters is excellent, fish range from 8 to 18 inches. Walleye - Excellent: Fishing in the tail waters is excellent with numerous sublegal walleye being caught, but some keepers are also be caught and a number of 20-27 releasers as well.

[delmuts]

The river levels are expected to climb til around 11 april to possible record levels.

[JIvers]

The river is now projected to hit flood stage at Bellevue by March 30, and to continue climbing from there.

[FishNightmare]

Anyone getting anything on the river. Went yesterday and all I got were little ones, of about every species

[JIvers]

I wish I could give you an answer--between the high water, the price of gas, and my schedule I won't be fishing the Mississippi any time soon.

Sorry, just had to vent a bit. As a starting point, check out the IDNR's fishing reports for an idea of what is biting, ramp conditions, etc: http://www.iowadnr.gov/news/fishing/11apr07fish.pdf

[FishNightmare]

Stripers are biting big time!! better get out now and try, was alot of fun. Even caught a few walleye, one in the slot and a monster northern thrown in bag

[delmuts]

I just checked the water level at Mc gregor. They are showing 21 ft.+ A freind sent My wife a text picture last night of her trailer by Nobles island. There was about a foot and a half of water in the basement part then. They think it will top out soon, but with this rain( and SNOW!! We had thunder snow for over a half hour this morning. Left about five inches of snow behind!) that could change!

[RJMOEN]

http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/new/layout.cfm click on the st paul district, then mississippi river and passes, then find your appropriate dam, that'll give you flow, temp, and height

[FishNightmare]

Anyone doing any good out on the Mississippi? The largemouth have been biting pretty good, they must be starting to spawn. Is anyone getting any catfish yet and if so what depth of water\structure?

[JIvers]

The water's still pretty high, so I'm guessing the action is in off-current areas, backwaters, and the like.

I never even fished the Mississippi in Iowa last year due to high water; I'm hoping this year is different.

[delmuts]

I didn't get to do any fishing, but the gils were spawning, and people hitting them hard! Must have been a bass tourn. in the area, as we had six different boats in the area bass fishing. I asked the one boat. He said the water temp was 67 degrees. It was 58 last weekend!

[FishNightmare]

Still lots little sauger to be had. Can catch hundreds of them, but you have to fish all day to get 3 or 4 decent ones measuring 14"-15". Not worth the time. I heard the crappies are biting good in the normal winter areas, so going to check that out tomorrow. Anyone really getting into any crappies anywhere around here yet? IF so what are you using for bait. I did try an area where buddie said he was getting a few and nothing. But I didn't have live bait so? Maybe that is the answer, but I at least thought I'd get one! He is not that great of fisherman or so I thought, haha.

[JIvers]

Are weeds a problem right now in the tailwaters?

With the falling river levels this week, I'm thinking of heading to Bellevue or Guttenberg in a few days.

[FishNightmare]

Went out this weekend and ended up with 14, just short of a three man limit on saugers. Probably caught over double that though. Had to do some sorting. Most were 14", one was 16" and another 17".

Did get three walleye, all little over 14". Not quite big enough.

Was a lot of fun though

[FishNightmare]

Anyone else getting any fish on here? Anyone else even go out?!

[JIvers]

Thanks for the report!

In spite of the horrible winter we've had for ice-fishing, my boat has stayed parked since the beginning of December. There were times I came close to getting it out of mothballs, but so far I haven't done it.

If the forecast is right, I'll probably be fishing the tailwaters at Bellevue before the end of the month...

[FishNightmare]

Did good again on Sunday. The fish were a little better and had 16 total. No walleye though. Fished a different area and it seemed to have bigger fish.

[FishNightmare]

Still doing good on suagers. Just no walleye yet and kinda getting sick of catching so many little sauger. Starting to get a few more bigger females mixed in.

[FishNightmare]

Have not been out in a couple weeks. Anyone got a report? Any walleye moving up. Heard the water temp is 34-35 degrees. Next week is suppose to be really warm and should push it up into high 30's maybe closer to 40. Should see some fish move into the tailwaters pretty good I'd think.

[FishNightmare]

SKUNKED. Wow we fished hard all day yesterday. All the rollers have water coming over them so the current picked up. Really can't get to where we were catching them cuz of the current, but still didn't get them a ways away from the dam where we were a few weeks ago. Tried four other spots known to hold sauger and walleye staying at least mile to 1.5 miles from the dam. Not a bite. The water is dirty now too. Don't know if it is the colder weather that went through with the snow storm or what. Hopefully it picks back up with the warm weather, cuz right now its dead out there. Everyone coming in at the ramp said the same. Few little sauger, but nothing like past month they said. Seen a lot boats moving around so much that we just knew the fish were not biting, so wasn't just us.!!

[gloomiseye]

Thanks for the reports! I have all next week off and will be hitting either red wing or Dubuque.

[JIvers]

Well, if it makes you feel better your report makes my decision on what to do this weekend easier: drive ninety+ miles to Bellevue or Guttenberg with the boat (and $3.59 gasoline), or go shore-fishing ten miles from home.

[JIvers]

I just saw the COE is planning a sharp drop in the flow at Bellevue this weekend--I may try that after all before the water comes back up...

[FishNightmare]

Yeah heard today that some guys were doing it up at the Dubuque dam last weekend. Must of got a few too the way they were talking. Never done it before, but heard they are good eating.

Water went way down since the weekend. Probably dropped 2 feet and water clarity came back as well. Hoping to get out saturday. Its going to be different fishing with the river not flooding for the walleye spawn.

Water temp is 38 degrees too, gained four degrees in two days after holder 34 for few weeks.