Fishing Report for Weekend of 7/1

Here is the much awaited "DNR Fishing Report" for the weekend of 7/1.
Cedar River (above Nashua)
Water levels are stabilizing and clarity should improve by the weekend. Anglers using live bait are catching a variety of fish. Walleye – Good. Channel Catfish - Fair: Fish in current breaks and eddies. Northern Pike - Fair: Minnows are turning pikes heads this week. Rock Bass - Fair: Catches of rock bass have been spotty.
Decorah District Streams
Take care when walking through wild parsnip while getting to your favorite stream. Don't let it touch your skin; it reacts with the sun and causes horrible blisters. Trout streams are in excellent condition but flows are up. Brown Trout - Good: A nice variety of insects have been hatching in the evenings. Use a #18 blue wing olive or #14 or #16 caddis fly imitation. Strong midge hatches have also been occurring. Brook Trout - Good: For stained water, use a streamer or minnow imitation. Rainbow Trout - Good: A few of our streams are not stocked in July and August as these streams tend to get too warm for cold water fish. Refer to our calendar and map to find out which ones.

Lake Hendricks
The lake has a green algae bloom, but anglers are still catching fish. Largemouth Bass - Good: Anglers fishing from a boat or canoe are having luck using topwater plastics over the vegetation and reeling to deeper water. Bluegill - Fair: Fishing from shore is difficult due to aquatic beds. Anglers are finding fish in deeper water using a hook tipped with small piece of worm. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait, worms and stink bait fished off the bottom.
Lake Meyer
Expect spotty catches of fish depending on day and time. Bluegill - Fair: Fish over the deeper brush piles and structure. Use a worm under a bobber. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Try a jig tipped with a variety of soft plastics. Start along the weed edges and fish deeper. Channel Catfish - Fair: Nice size catfish are taking a big worm fished off the bottom under a bobber. Evenings are best.
Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
Water levels are stabilizing and clarity is improving. Water temperatures are in the low 70's. Try fishing the deeper holes and around current breaks. The key is to get to the bottom. A variety of sucker species are showing up in the creel this week. Worms are the bait of choice this week. White Sucker – Fair.
Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Clarity is improving and water levels have stabilized. Paddlers are having the best luck finding fish this week in the turbid water. Anglers using worms are doing best. Smallmouth Bass - Excellent: Spinnerbaits are turning smallie heads. Walleye – Slow.

Volga Lake
Volga Lake has a green algae bloom. Anglers drifting over rock or brush piles will find fish. Largemouth Bass – Good. Black Crappie – Fair. Bluegill – Fair.

Big Woods Lake
Big Woods Lake is producing some catches of crappie. Black Crappie - Fair: Anglers are catching crappie around structure.

Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Anglers are doing excellent on channel catfish and good on bluegill and largemouth bass. Bluegills have moved off of the spawning beds; concentrate efforts near structure. Target channel catfish off of the middle jetty and the west end of the lake. Bluegill - Good: Slowly drift and retrieve small 1/32 or 1/16 oz. jigs near submerged structure 2-3 feet below the surface. Largemouth Bass - Good: Cast topwater baits early morning or late evening. Try also weedless baits such as frogs and rubber worms. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Use stink baits and cut baits fished on the bottom off of the middle jetty and west end of lake.
Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
The Cedar River is setting up for some good angling opportunities as the beautiful weekend forecast approaches. Fishing in Bremer County has been more productive than has Black Hawk County. Walleye - Good: Walleyes are biting well on a jig tipped with a crawler combination or crankbaits. Target break lines, rocky shorelines, eddies or tailwater riffles for aggressive walleye. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Use a jig & crawler combination, crankbaits or spinner baits near rocky shorelines. Channel Catfish - Fair: Stink baits or chicken livers has been fair; concentrate above logjams or try riffle areas. Northern Pike - Fair: Some northern pike have been caught using the same techniques as walleye or smallmouth bass.

George Wyth Lake
Anglers are catching crappie in and around weed beds and structure. Black Crappie - Fair: Drift a crappie minnow under a slip bobber in and around the edges of weed beds.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
The Maquoketa River is in excellent angling condition for the upcoming weekend. Walleye - Fair: A jig tipped with a crawler is a deadly combination this time of year. Look for current breaks and woody structure. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Try a jig & crawler, crankbaits or spinnerbaits fished near rocky habitat. Channel Catfish - Fair: Fish chicken livers or stink bait near the upstream end of logjams.
Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
The Shell Rock River is setting up for some good angling opportunities as the beautiful weekend forecast approaches.
Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
The Wapsipinicon River is currently at 5.83 feet today and falling. While this river takes time to drop, conditions and clarity for the upcoming weekend should vastly improve. Walleye - Fair: Walleye are biting on a jig tipped with a crawler combination or crankbaits. Target break lines, rocky shorelines, eddies or tailwater riffles for aggressive walleye. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Use a jig & crawler combination, crankbaits or spinner baits near rocky shorelines. Channel Catfish - Fair: Stink baits or chicken livers has been fair; concentrate above logjams or try riffle areas. Northern Pike - Fair: Some northern pike have been caught using the same techniques as walleye or smallmouth bass.
Interior rivers continue to fall and angling opportunities should be vastly improved for this upcoming Fourth of July weekend. Walleye and smallmouth bass are back on the bite with some occasional channel catfish and northern pike being caught. Trout streams are in excellent condition.