Northwest Iowa Fishing Reports

[Rick]

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

Iowa Fishing reports - Click here for even more NW Iowa info

Spirit Lake Fishing Reports (Dickinson county): Yellow perch fishing continues to be good closer to shore in 8 to 15 feet of water around Buffalo Run, the pump house, and Hale Slough using jigging lures tipped with minnow heads or perch eyes and using a slip bobber rig baited with a minnow

West Okoboji Lake Fishing Reports: Bluegill fishing is fair in Little Miller’s Bay and Pocahontas Point with small ice jigs tipped with wigglers or wax worms.

[Rick]

Clear Lake Fishing Reports (Cerro Gordo County): Yellow bass are still biting on the west end of the lake near the Farmer’s Beach access and west of McIntosh State Park in the new dredge area. A few walleye and white bass are also being caught while fishing for yellows. Jigging spoons and minnows below a bobber are the best techniques. Ice depth remains 16 to 18 inches, but warm days are deteriorating the access points. Use caution with the changing ice conditions this time of year.

[Rick]

Silver Lake Fishing Reports (Worth County): A few yellow perch are being caught fishing the north side of the lake by the county park and near the boat ramp on the southwest side. Try using a jig tipped with a minnow for best results

[Rick]

Beeds Lake Fishing Reports (Franklin county): Bluegill and crappie fishing is fair, try using a small jig tipped with a wax worm.

[Rick]

Storm Lake Fishing Reports (Buena Vista County): Ice fishing is not recommended.

Brushy Creek Lake Fishing Reports (Webster County): The lake is about one-third open water and ice fishing is not recommended.

[hondarider550]

Great reports Rick! I like how you are breaking the forum into sections so we can find things according to areas...

[Rick]

For the most part I hope to leave this thread up to all of you to keep fishing reports updated.

Please chime in everyone and get to know each other.

[Rick]

Ice has thawed around the edges of lakes and some open holes have developed. Care should be taken when walking onto ice.

Spirit Lake: Fishing continues to be good for yellow perch closer to shore in 8 to 15 feet of water around the pump house, using jigging lures tipped with minnow heads or perch eyes and using a slip bobber rig baited with a minnow. Bluegill fishing is fair at the North Grade and in Angler’s Bay using small ice jigs tipped with wax worms. Crappie fishing is fair in Angler’s Bay using chartreuse or white and pink glow in the dark ice jigs tipped with a wax worm around sunrise and sunset.

West Okoboji Lake: Bluegill fishing is fair in Little Miller’s Bay and Pocahontas Point with small ice jigs tipped with wigglers or wax worms.

East Okoboji Lake: Fishing is fair for yellow and white bass using jigging lures tipped with minnow heads or wax worms around sunset in 20 feet of water around Parks Marina.

Upper Gar Lake (Dickinson County): Bluegill fishing is fair using small ice jigs tipped with live bait.

Lake Minnewashta (Dickinson County): Bluegill and yellow perch fishing is fair using small ice jigs tipped with live bait.

Lower Gar Lake (Dickinson): Fish for northern pike at the outlet using live bait suspended below a bobber or large plastics slowly twitched.

Clear Lake: Recent warm weather has made ice conditions unsafe for most of the lake.

Silver Lake: A few yellow perch are being caught fishing the north side of the lake by the county park and near the boat ramp on the southwest side. Try using a jig tipped with a minnow for best results.

Beeds Lake: Bluegill and crappie fishing is fair, try using a small jig tipped with a wax worm.

Storm Lake: Fishing is excellent for crappie in the marina. White bass are good off the jetties. The lake is completely ice free

Black Hawk Lake: Fishing is good on the windy shoreline for catfish on shad guts. The lake is ice free

Brushy Creek Lake: West boat ramp is ice free. Approximately half the lake is ice covered.

Come n guys. Let's see your reports

[hondarider550]

With open water happening around the lakes areas is anybody starting to make plans on open water fishing? Or are you already at it and how is it going?

[LOTWSvirgin]

Catch fish. Not really I just kinda play it as it comes this early in the year

[echo2010]

I absolutely love fishing. I cant wait. Unfortunately unless Im with my from In brainerd, no one wants to go with me...

[hondarider550]

I absolutely love fishing. I cant wait. Unfortunately unless Im with my from In brainerd, no one wants to go with me...

We are gonna have to plan a fishing trip sometime echo. I will take you along sometime...

[Rick]

Most ice has gone out, but some large piles of ice may be found at boat ramps where the wind is blowing in.

Kids Corner: If you are taking a child fishing this weekend in the Spirit Lake area, take them to Buffalo Run on the west side of Big Spirit Lake. Access is very easy. Yellow perch, bluegills, and black crappie have been the most frequently caught. Use a small ice jig tipped with a wax-worm three feet below a small bobber.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Bluegills can be caught fishing at the trestle with a small ice jig tipped with a wax worm below a small bobber.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Wader fishing for walleyes is excellent using a jig and minnow, twister-tail, or small crank-bait after sunset.

Five Island Lake (Palo Alto): Walleyes are being caught on a jig and minnow, twistertail, or small crankbaits after sunset.

Lost Island Lake (Palo Alto): Walleyes are being caught on a jig and minnow, twistertail, or small crankbaits after sunset.

West Fork of Des Moines River (Emmet): Walleyes are on a jig and minnow or twistertail fished in the holes below riffles.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Clear Lake is ice free. A few fish are being caught at the grade.

Winnebago River (Cerro Gordo): Northern pike and walleyes had been biting on spinners and jigs fished in the slack water, but fishing has slowed do to inclement weather. Expect fishing to pick up as river levels drop and the water clears.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Walleye fishing has been good wading along the shoreline and casting twisters. A few crappies are still being caught in the marina on live minnows.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Catfish are good on shad or carp guts on the windy shoreline. Bluegills up to 7.5 inches are good on the west stone pier using small jigs and wax worms.

Brushy Creek Lake (Webster): The lake is ice free. There has been little, if any, fishing.

[iafish4fun]

Yep. Planning on staying inside till the lakes freeze again.

[moparmarv]

boat is ready just have to find time to go and try to catch some open water fish

[Esox_Magnum]

Got the boat started thats about it so far, got a few reels to spool yet then its carp snagging time till they get a few docks in on West then bass fishing till muskie tourneys start in May

[PerchPounder]

Carp snagging huh? Isn't that the same thing a bass fishing just without the docks? I know if that were one of my spring past times I would be starting on the south end of Center Lake or in Hales Slough on Spirit.

[Esox_Magnum]

7'6" ML action St Croix with 8# test with a 1/4 oz jig and twister on is the ultimate snagging rig. And there way better carp getting spots than that. Come along some time we'll educate you on the fine art of light line/rod carp snagging.

[hondarider550]

That does sound like alot of fun Esox... I wouldnt mind trying carp fishing sometime. Has to be quite a rush having one on your line!!

[Esox_Magnum]

It is fun and also helps with the reflexes on the hooksets. Snagging with a jig takes a fine touch and a good rod to feel them. I just moved up to the ML, up till a couple years ago I used my ultra lite.

[Mr.Perch]

Rick

some friends of mine said they caught some nice Walleyes at east park in Mason City last week. I went over today and got nothing. But my buddy got hit by a little one.

[Rick]

AWESOME!! Thanks Mr. Perch for joining in. We'd like to see more of you joining in with your reports. Please, just jump in and post

[Rick]

TIP:

For lakes with sloughs - Fishing for panfish has been slow but will pick up when there is a warm, sunny day. Water in the sloughs will warm quickly which will attract bluegills, yellow perch and crappies from the main lake towards the sloughs that have water flowing into the lake.

East Okoboji Lake (Dickinson): Bluegills are biting at the trestle using a small ice jig tipped with a wax worm below a small bobber. Channel catfish are being caught using cut bait along boat docks and bridges at night.

Five Island Lake (Palo Alto): Walleyes are biting on a jig and minnow, twister-tail, or minnow style crankbait after sunset. Channel catfish are taking cut bait at night.

Lost Island Lake (Palo Alto): Walleyes are biting on a jig and minnow, twister-tail, or minnow style crankbait after sunset.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleyes are biting on a jig and minnow, twister-tail, or minnow style crankbait after sunset along shorelines.

Spirit Lake (Dickinson): Yellow perch are being caught vertically jigging lures tipped with live bait or a slip bobber and minnow at Buffalo Run, Hales Slough, or the footbridge. Crappies are biting on a small jig or minnow under a small slip bobber at Buffalo Run or Templar Lagoon. For northern pike, use large soft plastics or spoons at Hale Slough and Trickles Slough.

Tuttle Lake (Emmet): Walleyes are being caught on a jig and minnow at the lake outlet in the evening. Northern pike are biting on a jig and minnow at outlet during the day.

West Fork of Des Moines River (Emmet): Use a jig and minnow or twister tail in the deeper holes below riffles for walleyes.

Clear Lake (Cerro Gordo): Poor weather and water temperature in the upper 30s has slowed fishing. A few walleyes are being caught at the grade and near the outlet.

Storm Lake (Buena Vista): Walleye fishing has slowed due to the cold weather. A few males are still being caught by wade-in anglers throwing twisters. Catfish are excellent on shad guts with most fish in the 2-pound range, with a few 5 pounds and larger.

Black Hawk Lake (Sac): Fishing is good for catfish on shad entrails.

Brushy Creek Lake (Webster): The boat docks are in at the south and west ramps. There has been little fishing activity on the lake. A few small bluegills have been caught.

[epkirkman]

We fished Storm Thursday and Friday along with about 20 other boats. We heard of one fish caught. This goofy weather has the walleyes shut down.

Friday afternoon we fished Spirit. I haven't been skunked two days in a row for a long time but it happened. There were guys catching plenty of crappies and bluegills at Buffalo Run in very shallow water using waxies and minnows. Hopefully this front will push through and we will get some warmer weather.

[Reid G]

Any word on if the smallie bite is turning on yet on Big Spirit?