Big Hollow Lake
Water temperature is 70 degrees early in the morning and warming into the mid-70s by afternoon. Duckweed still isn’t too bad yet. Bluegill – Good: Scout the shallows along the northside to findi spawning areas. Get the males to bite with small jigs tipped with a little live bait or just a worm and a bobber. Channel Catfish – Good: Try cut bait or nightcrawlers along the face of the dam. Largemouth Bass – Good: Nesting is starting to wrap up; bass fry are emerging and will soon be leaving the nest along with dad.
Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River)
River level is 3/4 bank full. Water temperature is in the mid to upper 60’s. Try nightcrawlers or cut bait in the back edges of the sandbars. Use minnows or green sunfish around the log jams.
Lake Belva Deer
Water temperature is 70 degrees. The curlyleaf beds are getting thick. Black Crappie – Good: Anglers are catching crappie along the edges of the curlyleaf. Bluegill – Good: Fishing is good, especially if you find the spawning beds. Don’t pass up the edges of the curlyleaf beds and any holes in them that you can get your bait into. Channel Catfish – Good: Look for catfish along the face of the dam when they are getting ready to spawn. Use cut bait, nightcrawlers, or chicken liver. Largemouth Bass – Good: The males are starting to move off the nests as the spawn starts to wrap up. You can still find some guarding the nest back into the trees.
Lake Darling
Water temperature is 74 degrees. Water clarity is very clear with over 6 feet of clarity. Black Crappie – Good: Find crappies in shallow (a few feet out from shore) with water temperatures at 70+ degrees. Most crappie have retreated out over the rock piles in 6-8 feet of water; others are back out to their summer haunts in 10-12 feet of water. Bluegill – Good: Bluegills are on the beds. Find smaller bluegill in tight to shore and bigger ones nestingn 3-4 feet of water. Channel Catfish – Fair: As the water warms, expect catfish to move the crevices in the rip-rap and around the culvert piles to prepare for their spawn. Use crawdads or minnows. Largemouth Bass – Good: With the warm water temperatures, the bass spawn happened fast this year.The fry and the males are already leaving many of the nests; bigger females are out in deep water recovering from their efforts.
Lake Geode
Water temperature is near 70 degrees most days. Black Crappie – Good: Find 10- to 11- inch crappies; they have been spawning for the last few days. Work the fallen trees and other near shore habitat. Bluegill – Good: Find males building nests in shallow bays. Largemouth Bass – Good: The males are in shallow building nests; a few females are also in shallow.
Lake of the Hills
Water temperature is 69-70 degrees. Water clarity is 5+ feet. Black Crappie – Slow: Just finished the initial stocking of black crappies; expect the crappie bite to pick up by this fall. Bluegill – Good: Try a worm and bobber close to shore; several spawning areas to choose from. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use nightcrawlers and stink bait along shore below Lambachs dam and by the spillways and parallel along the highway. Largemouth Bass – Good: Try nightcrawlers or soft plastics around the habitat in front of the fishing pier or around the trees and artificial habitat near shore.
Lost Grove Lake
Water is fairly clear at 6 feet+. The curlyleaf is really coming in. Black Crappie – Good: Most crappies have moved out to deeper water and are suspended at 12-16 feet down. Try a jig and minnow. Bluegill – Good: Use a worm and bobber or a small jig tipped with a worm “drift-trolled” to find them then switch to a small bobber and worm in 3 to 4 feet of water to catch bigger bluegills and redears. Largemouth Bass – Good: Looking for the bigger bass? Get way back into the trees or look for a piece of habitat that most anglers look right passed. Older bass are looking for places where people don’t bother them.
Railroad Lake
Water is very clear; a little algae around the edges. Black Crappie – Slow: Try small jigs around the trees and other habitat out away from shore. The spring spawn has wrapped. Bluegill – Good: Use nightcrawlers under bobbers or tip the hook of a small jig fished near shore Channel Catfish – Fair: Try nightcrawlers and stink baits. If there is a little wind, work the shoreline that it is blowing into. Largemouth Bass – Good: Use worm and bobber or cast with a nightcrawler rig. Cast soft plastics around the brush piles closer to shore where the males are guarding nests.
Skunk River (Coppock to Mississippi)
River level is about 1/2 bank full. Try cutbait or minnows at the tail edge and back eddies of the rock riffs.
For more information on the above lakes and rivers call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.