Southeast
Lake Darling Management District
- Contact Person: Vance Polton – 319-694-2430
For more information on these lakes and ponds, call the Lake Darling Fisheries at 319-694-2430. Last updated on 03/04/2026
- Water Temperature (°F): 62.0
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Black Crappie – Good: Crappie fishing has been good along the edges of the trees in 8 to 10 feet of water. Try small jigs and minnows vertically jigged or slow trolled. A few anglers picked up a few scattered crappies in shallower water along the north side over the weekend.
- Largemouth Bass – Fair: On sunny warm (70+) days, anglers were picking up bass along the north side along the more open shoreline where the sun could get in to warm the water.
Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi R) (Louisa)
- Ramp Condition: Useable
The Iowa River just left “minor” flood stage. It looks to be headed back up that way when the water coming down from up river gets here.
- Water Temperature (°F): 58.0
- Ramp Condition: Useable
Water temperature is 58-60 degrees. Water clarity remains decent; water is flowing out the overflow pipe.
- Black Crappie – Good: Anglers continue to catch crappies out in 10 to 12 feet of water in the flooded trees. A few anglers are starting to pick up a few in the shallower water along the north side in the timber; but those seem to be only there on the warmest days.
- Largemouth Bass – Fair: A few more boats are chasing bass on sunny warm days. Anglers are catching some decent bass up to the 4 pounds. Try working the lures slow and shallow along sun heated rocks.
- Water Temperature (°F): 62.0
- Ramp Condition: Useable
Water level in the lake is about 10 inches above the normal full pool level. Water clarity remains decent at about 3 feet despite the recent heavy rains.
- Black Crappie – Fair: Crappies are coming up into 3 to 4 feet of water along the rocks to feed on warm days. They are heading back out deeper when it clouds back over and cools down. They are not spawning yet.
- Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try working crankbaits with a slow release along the rock shorelines and tree falls/brush piles on warmer days with just a little chop on the water. Look for bass to head back out to the deeper rock piles in 8 to 10 feet of water on cooler days.
- Water Temperature (°F): 62.0
- Ramp Condition: Useable
Water clarity remains fairly good despite the rain.
- Black Crappie – Fair: Most crappies remain out over the habitat in 8-10 feet of water. Try vertically jigging red or blue tube jigs or minnows under slip bobbers.
- Largemouth Bass – Fair: Depends on the day. Warm and sunny: hit the tops of the long mounds across from the beach or along the rock shoreline in the sun with crankbaits. Cool and cloudy: work the steeper shorelines where they can stay closer to deeper water.
- Water Temperature (°F): 60.0
- Ramp Condition: Useable
Water clarity remains decent despite recent rains. Several inches of water is going over the spillway and a little “extra” water in the lake.
- Largemouth Bass – Fair: Anglers are catching bass over top of the same brush piles as they are catching trout.
- Rainbow Trout – Good: Anglers continue to catch trout out of the brush piles using small spinners or jigs.
- Water Temperature (°F): 55.0
- Ramp Condition: Useable
Water temperature was 55 degrees at about mid-day yesterday (4/15). A good amount of water is going out the overflow pipe. Lake level is 6 inches or so above normal levels.
- Largemouth Bass – Fair: Key into the sun on warm days; hit the shoreline along the north side, especially when a south breeze is blowing. Bass are working those shoreline. When it’s cloudy and cool, concentrate your efforts a little deeper out around the habitat not to far from those same shorelines.
Skunk River (Rose Hill to Coppock) (Washington)
- Ramp Condition: Useable
The Skunk River is currently about 2 feet from running bank full. It is flowing fairly fast and is muddy from all the heavy rains.
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Macbride Management District
- Contact Person: D. J. Vogeler or Chris Mack – 319-624-3615
Cedar River (Cedar Rapids to Moscow) (Cedar)
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Channel Catfish – Fair
- Sauger – Fair
- Walleye – Fair
Coralville Reservoir (Johnson)
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Black Crappie – Fair
- Bluegill – Fair: Try fishing along the rock shorelines.
- Channel Catfish – Slow
- Green Sunfish – Fair: Try fishing along the rock shorelines.
- Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try fishing along the rock shorelines with flooded brush.
- White Crappie – Fair
- Ramp Condition: Not applicable
- Largemouth Bass – Fair
- Rainbow Trout – Slow
- Ramp Condition: Not applicable
- Largemouth Bass – Good
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Black Crappie – Good: Try fishing around the brush piles along shore.
- Largemouth Bass – Good
Iowa River (Coralville Lake to River Junction) (Johnson)
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Sauger – Slow
- Walleye – Fair
- Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Fair
Iowa River (Marshalltown to Coralville Lake) (Iowa)
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Channel Catfish – Slow
- Walleye – Slow
- White Bass – Slow
- Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Slow
- Water Temperature (°F): 50.0
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Largemouth Bass – Good: Try fishing along rock shorelines and brush piles.
- Muskellunge – Fair
- Spotted bass – Fair
- Walleye – Fair
- White Crappie – Good
- Ramp Condition: Not applicable
- Rainbow Trout – Slow
- Ramp Condition: Not applicable
- Rainbow Trout – Slow
North Ridge Park Pond (Johnson)
- Ramp Condition: Not applicable
- Rainbow Trout – Slow
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Black Crappie – Fair
- Largemouth Bass – Fair
- Muskellunge – Fair
- Walleye – Good
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Largemouth Bass – Fair
Wapsipinicon River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction) (Jones)
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Sauger – Slow
- Smallmouth Bass – Slow
- Walleye – Fair
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Rathbun Management District
- Contact Person: Rathbun Fish Hatchery personnel – 641-647-2406
Water temperature is in the 50s at most district lakes. Last updated on 04/16/2026
- Ramp Condition: Useable
Target channel catfish early spring.
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Largemouth Bass – Status Unsure: Target largemouth along the face of the dam and around the fishing jetties.
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Channel Catfish – Slow: Try cut bait or dead minnows.
- Largemouth Bass – Good: Anglers report catching largemouth bass. Target the rip-rapped shorelines using plastics or spinnerbaits.
- Ramp Condition: Useable
- Bluegill – Slow: Bluegills will move shallow ss the water temperature warms; use small jigs.
- Largemouth Bass – Fair: Target the brush piles with plastics or along the shoreline with spinnerbaits.
Ottumwa Park Pond South (Trout Pond) (Wapello)
- Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Anglers report that mornings and evenings are the best bite. Use gold rooster tails or other in-line spinners. You need a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout.
- Water Temperature (°F): 46.0
- Ramp Condition: Useable
Lake level is 906.70 msl; recreation pool is 904 msl. Boat ramps are open and docks are installed; campgrounds are still closed. Lake Rathbun contains zebra mussels; clean, drain and dry your boat before going to another water body.
Walleye – Status Unsure: Walleyes are post-spawn.