The weekend has arrived and with the weather forecast calling for hot and humid weather, being near some water may be a blessing. So, bust out the gear and grab the kids, it's a family fishing weekend. Here's some help from the Iowa DNR with the Fishing Report for the Weekend of 7/14/17.

Bigalk Creek
The road is closed at 30th St. west of the Howard County Conservation Board parking area on Bigalk Creek. The bridge is out until further notice.  Rainbow Trout – Good.

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Water levels are fluctuating with recent rainfall events.  Visit https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/rt for current water level information. Clarity is marginal, but should clear with more stable conditions. Walleye - Slow: Try a jig tipped with a minnow or crawler. Drift a jig in the main channel or find deeper holes. Channel Catfish - Good: Stink baits and crawlers attract hungry catfish. Find fish around log jams and slack water areas. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Smallmouth are hitting a variety of lures.

Coldwater Creek
The private property south of Coldwater Creek Rd. bridge on Coldwater Creek is closed to the public until further notice. Brown Trout – Good.

Decorah District Streams
Be respectful of private property; it’s a privilege to fish these areas. Wear light clothing to protect exposed skin from sun and the effects of wild parsnip. Call 563-927-5736 for catchable trout stocking locations. Brook Trout - Good: For nymphing or wet flies, use streamer patterns such as wholly buggers to imitate fish, or a pink squirrel to imitate scuds. Use dry flies size 12 to 20 imitating midges and sulfers hatching off the water. Try also a variety of caddis and mayfly nymphs. Brown Trout - Good: Fish will soon be looking for terrestrial insects falling into the water. Ants are a favorite. Gnats, mayflies, and caddis flies are hatching. Rainbow Trout - Good: Use jigs tipped with twistertails, feathered spinnerbaits, or flashy spoons. Use a nightcrawler or cheese to catch a freshly stocked fish.

Lake Hendricks
Clean off your boat trailer before you leave the boat ramp. Visibility is marginal due to a green algae bloom on lake.Find the latest how spots with the Iowa DNR's fishing atlas. Set your GPS coordinates to WGS84 to key in to your structure preference. Bluegill - Good: Catch bluegills on the bottom at the ends of the jetties; use a small piece of crawler. Channel Catfish - Good: Use stink baits along rocky shoreline. Largemouth Bass - Good: Try a topwater lure on the edge of a vegetation bed.

Lake Meyer
Water temperatures are in the upper 70's. A green algae bloom is reducing water clarity.
Clean off your boat trailers and drain boats before you move to another water body. Bluegill- Good: Find gills in deeper water on edges of vegetation beds. Fish off the docks and jetties for a big one. Channel Catfish - Good: Use stink baits and nightcrawlers in the evenings along the rock jetties or around stumps for a cruising cat. Largemouth Bass - Good: Top water lures and buzz baits are good, but try a frog just off the weed line in about 5 feet of water. Early mornings are best. Use frogs or buzz bait in calm water. Black Crappie- Good: Catch crappie near the docks and jetties in the evenings. Northern Pike- Fair: nglers report catching pike while fishing for bass.

Turkey River (above Clermont)
Water levels are stabilizing, but conditions could change depending on rainfall. Water temperatures are in the mid 70's. Visibility is limited. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Lures imitating a crawdad will drive smallies crazy. Walleye - Fair: Use a crawler or jig and twister tail fished along a current break or in a deeper pool.

Turkey River (below Clermont)
Flash flooding is possible depending on additional rain in the next few days. Water levels were above flood stage on Tuesday due to localized rainfall, but have dropped. Water temperatures are in the low 70's. Visibility is poor. Visit https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/uv?site_no=05412500 for more information. Smallmouth Bass – Slow.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water levels are falling with temperatures low 70's and limited visibility. Toss a lure upstream and let it float through the current along a ledge or current seam. Walleye - Fair: Try a jig tipped with a minnow, nightcrawler, or natural colored twister tail. Smallmouth Bass- Good: A nightcrawler or crawfish crankbait will attract a smallmouth.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water levels are stabilizing with recent rainfall. Water temperatures are in the mid 70's with limited visibility. A variety of baits are working, but nightcrawlers work best in stained water. Visit https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/rt for current water level information. Walleye- Slow. Smallmouth Bass - Fair. Channel Catfish - Good: Bank anglers are catching fish using a jig tipped with a crawler with weight to keep it on the bottom.

Volga Lake
Find fish attracting structure locations on the Iowa DNR's fishing atlasBluegill - Slow. Largemouth Bass - Good: Find bass in shallow water toward evening; use topwater lures. Black Crappie - Fair: Crappies are suspended around submersed structure during the day and come in shallow in the evening. Use a hook tipped with a minnow or bright colored jig.

It will be a beautiful weekend in northeast Iowa. Area rivers and streams are stabilizing. Heavy rainfall Tuesday in Allamakee and Clayton Counties is causing some localized high water. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.


Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
The park ranger reports that the bluegill and largemouth bass fishing has been good. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use topwater artificial baits and plastics off of the jetties and dam. Bluegill - Good: Try off of the jetties and in the cove areas in 2- to 4- feet of water.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Anglers are targeting primarily channel catfish in Black Hawk County during cooler periods within the day. In Bremer County, smallmouth bass, channel catfish and walleye fishing has been fair to good on the Cedar River. Channel Catfish - Good: Use dead chubs, nightcrawlers or leaches fished on the bottom of the river. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Try plastics and spinner baits along rocky shoreline or other instream habitat. Walleye - Fair: Use a jig and twister tipped with a nightcrawler.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
Recent creel reports show that anglers are catching a variety of species on the Maquoketa River in Delaware County.  Walleye - Fair: Use a jig and twister tipped with a nightcrawler. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Try plastics and spinnerbaits along rocky shoreline or other instream habitat. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use dead chubs, nightcrawlers or leaches fished on the bottom of the river.

With the recent summer storms, interior river fishing has been unpredictable with fluctuating river levels. Most anglers are targeting channel catfish during early morning or late evening hours to beat the summer heat. Trout streams remain in good condition. Contact the N.E. District Office at 563-927-3276 for more information.

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