05-19-2004, 04:23 AM
Northeast
Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Water levels on the Mississippi River have risen the past few days and levels are expected to stay steady throughout the week. Water clarity is very good after a week of somewhat turbid conditions and the temperature is staying near 62 degrees. Largemouth bass are still being caught in huge numbers in the tailwaters of both Lock and Dam 9 and 10 using jigs and spinner baits. Anglers are allowed to keep only five bass and they must be at least 14 inches long. Bluegills are biting in good numbers in tailwaters and backwater areas of Pools 9-11. Try using a small jig tipped with a worm. Crappies will be moving into their spawning locations within the next few weeks. Often, anglers need to try brushy areas in backwater lakes until the fish move in. They can literally start biting over night. White bass can be seen starting to chase minnows in the tailwater areas of Lock and Dam 9 and 10 as well. These fish can be caught on small spinners and white tube jigs. Lucky anglers will often catch smallmouth bass in the pursuit of white bass as well. Freshwater drum (sheepshead) may be the easiest fish to catch in the Mississippi River. They are a very tasty and quite fun to catch. A simple worm rig with a sliding sinker is all you need. Good areas for drum fishing include boat landings, such as the Army Road landing east of New Albin in Pool 9, off the new parking lot in Harpers Ferry leading into Harpers Slough (Pool 10), the Turkey River landing near the mouth of the Turkey River east of Millville or off the county boat landing at Mud Lake just north of Dubuque (both in Pool 11). The emergency spillway at Guttenberg can also produce good numbers of drum. Freshwater drum fishing is excellent using night crawlers in Pools 12-15. Some large drum are also hitting crankbaits. There are no restrictions on the number of freshwater drum that can be harvested. Some channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers and leeches fished off the bottom or along rocky shorelines. Crappie fishing is good using jigs and/or minnows backwater areas of Pools 12-14. Good areas for crappies include Middle and Lower Sabula Lakes (Pool 13) and Rock Creek and Cattail Slough (Pool 14). A few bluegills are being caught on worms fished in the backwater areas of Pools 12-14. Largemouth bass fishing is very good in the backwater areas in Pools 12-15 using spinner baits and crankbaits. White bass (stripers) are hitting minnows fished in Middle and Lower Sabula Lakes (Pool 13). Walleye and sauger fishing is good on the wing dams in Pools 12-14 using night crawlers, leeches or crankbaits.
The Turkey (Fayette and Clayton), Cedar (Mitchell and Floyd) and Upper Iowa rivers (Howard, Winneshiek and Allamakee) are high and muddy after recent heavy rains. The Yellow River (Allamakee) is fishable and trout are biting.
Cedar River (Black Hawk): Walleye and channel catfish are good on night crawlers.
Maquoketa River (Delaware): Walleye fishing is good on jigs tipped with a night crawler.
Lake Delhi (Delaware): Crappies and yellow bass are hitting jigs and minnows.
Volga Lake (Fayette): Crappie fishing is good on small jigs. Bluegills are hitting a piece of night crawler or worm fished under a bobber.
Lake Hendricks (Howard): Bluegill and crappie fishing is good on worms or small jigs.
Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Bluegills in the 6 to 7-inch range are hitting worms. Crappie fishing is good using small jigs.
Big Woods, Brinker (East Lake) and South Prairie (Black Hawk): Crappie fishing is good on a jig and minnow fished along the shoreline or over brush piles.
asey Lake (Tama) in Hickory Hills Park is good for 8-inch bluegills on jigs and night crawlers fished next to brush piles and structure. Largemouth bass are being picked up with a variety of lures (crankbaits, rubber worms and spinner baits).
Trout stream conditions are variable. Big Spring Pond, next to the Turkey River on the Big Spring Hatchery property, offers families easy access to trout fishing. This pond was opened to public fishing in 2004 and the hatchery staff encourages families to bring younger anglers to this area. Brook, brown and rainbow trout are stocked three times a week (including Saturdays). Plan a trip to tour the Big Spring Hatchery and fish the pond in the near future. There is also an active eagle's nest downstream of the state property. For current trout stocking information on other northeast Iowa trout streams, call the trout stocking hotline at 563-927-5736. You can also access the trout stocking calendar through the internet at www.iowadnr.com and go to the fish and fishing web pages.
For information on fishing in northeast Iowa, call the regional office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.
[signature]
Mississippi River Pools 9 to 15: Water levels on the Mississippi River have risen the past few days and levels are expected to stay steady throughout the week. Water clarity is very good after a week of somewhat turbid conditions and the temperature is staying near 62 degrees. Largemouth bass are still being caught in huge numbers in the tailwaters of both Lock and Dam 9 and 10 using jigs and spinner baits. Anglers are allowed to keep only five bass and they must be at least 14 inches long. Bluegills are biting in good numbers in tailwaters and backwater areas of Pools 9-11. Try using a small jig tipped with a worm. Crappies will be moving into their spawning locations within the next few weeks. Often, anglers need to try brushy areas in backwater lakes until the fish move in. They can literally start biting over night. White bass can be seen starting to chase minnows in the tailwater areas of Lock and Dam 9 and 10 as well. These fish can be caught on small spinners and white tube jigs. Lucky anglers will often catch smallmouth bass in the pursuit of white bass as well. Freshwater drum (sheepshead) may be the easiest fish to catch in the Mississippi River. They are a very tasty and quite fun to catch. A simple worm rig with a sliding sinker is all you need. Good areas for drum fishing include boat landings, such as the Army Road landing east of New Albin in Pool 9, off the new parking lot in Harpers Ferry leading into Harpers Slough (Pool 10), the Turkey River landing near the mouth of the Turkey River east of Millville or off the county boat landing at Mud Lake just north of Dubuque (both in Pool 11). The emergency spillway at Guttenberg can also produce good numbers of drum. Freshwater drum fishing is excellent using night crawlers in Pools 12-15. Some large drum are also hitting crankbaits. There are no restrictions on the number of freshwater drum that can be harvested. Some channel catfish are being caught on night crawlers and leeches fished off the bottom or along rocky shorelines. Crappie fishing is good using jigs and/or minnows backwater areas of Pools 12-14. Good areas for crappies include Middle and Lower Sabula Lakes (Pool 13) and Rock Creek and Cattail Slough (Pool 14). A few bluegills are being caught on worms fished in the backwater areas of Pools 12-14. Largemouth bass fishing is very good in the backwater areas in Pools 12-15 using spinner baits and crankbaits. White bass (stripers) are hitting minnows fished in Middle and Lower Sabula Lakes (Pool 13). Walleye and sauger fishing is good on the wing dams in Pools 12-14 using night crawlers, leeches or crankbaits.
The Turkey (Fayette and Clayton), Cedar (Mitchell and Floyd) and Upper Iowa rivers (Howard, Winneshiek and Allamakee) are high and muddy after recent heavy rains. The Yellow River (Allamakee) is fishable and trout are biting.
Cedar River (Black Hawk): Walleye and channel catfish are good on night crawlers.
Maquoketa River (Delaware): Walleye fishing is good on jigs tipped with a night crawler.
Lake Delhi (Delaware): Crappies and yellow bass are hitting jigs and minnows.
Volga Lake (Fayette): Crappie fishing is good on small jigs. Bluegills are hitting a piece of night crawler or worm fished under a bobber.
Lake Hendricks (Howard): Bluegill and crappie fishing is good on worms or small jigs.
Lake Meyer (Winneshiek): Bluegills in the 6 to 7-inch range are hitting worms. Crappie fishing is good using small jigs.
Big Woods, Brinker (East Lake) and South Prairie (Black Hawk): Crappie fishing is good on a jig and minnow fished along the shoreline or over brush piles.
asey Lake (Tama) in Hickory Hills Park is good for 8-inch bluegills on jigs and night crawlers fished next to brush piles and structure. Largemouth bass are being picked up with a variety of lures (crankbaits, rubber worms and spinner baits).
Trout stream conditions are variable. Big Spring Pond, next to the Turkey River on the Big Spring Hatchery property, offers families easy access to trout fishing. This pond was opened to public fishing in 2004 and the hatchery staff encourages families to bring younger anglers to this area. Brook, brown and rainbow trout are stocked three times a week (including Saturdays). Plan a trip to tour the Big Spring Hatchery and fish the pond in the near future. There is also an active eagle's nest downstream of the state property. For current trout stocking information on other northeast Iowa trout streams, call the trout stocking hotline at 563-927-5736. You can also access the trout stocking calendar through the internet at www.iowadnr.com and go to the fish and fishing web pages.
For information on fishing in northeast Iowa, call the regional office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.
[signature]