You can almost feel the fall air starting to creep in, so you better get your fishing in before it gets cold. KCRR and the Iowa DNR are here to provide the crucial info for getting the big ones. Here's the Iowa DNR 'Fishing Report' for the weekend of 8/25/17.

Cedar River (above Nashua)
Fish are more active with stable water levels and cooler temperatures. Fish are taking a variety of lures and baits. Walleye - Good: Find walleye in brush piles or deeper holes. Try fishing along current breaks. Channel Catfish - Good: Use a hook with a dead chub or crawler for a 2 pound catfish. Try also chicken liver, stink bait and nightcrawlers. Black Crappie - Good: Use a hook tipped with a crawler in eddies below dams and backwaters. Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Use crawdad crankbaits along rocky shorelines and substrates.

Decorah District Streams
Trout streams are in good condition. Be respectful of private property; it’s a privilege to fish these areas. Call 563-927-5736 for current catchable trout stocking locations. Wild parsnip is done for the year, but beware of first year plants. Freshly stocked trout are hitting a variety of lures and baits. Brook Trout - Excellent: A variety of mayflies are hatching mid-afternoon. Use a dry fly for insects hatching off the water surface. Use a nymph or scud dropper for subsurface critters. Brown Trout - Excellent: Brown trout are more active when water is off color. A hopper pattern with a scud dropper is a dangerous combination.  Rainbow Trout- Excellent: Flies imitating grasshoppers, crickets, and ants will turn a trout head this time of year. Use any number of black ant or leaf hopper patterns.

Lake Hendricks
The lake is looking good. Use a canoe to paddle out or troll for fish suspended around rock piles. Black Crappie - Good: Use a minnow or spinnerbait around the jetties. Largemouth Bass - Good: Try topwater lures on the edge of a vegetation for a hiding bass. Channel Catfish - Good: Use a hook tipped with a nightcrawler, chicken liver or stink bait. Bluegill - Good: Find bluegills near vegetation edges

Lake Meyer
Water clarity is improving as water begins to cool. Water temperatures are in the low 70's.  Bluegill - Good: Use a small hook tipped with a piece of worm under a bobber near jetties in the evening. Black Crappie - Fair: Find crappie suspended near submersed structure. Use a spinner or jig with bright colored twister tail. Largemouth Bass - Good: Early morning and evening bite is best. Use topwater lures fished along vegetation beds or spinners along rocky edges.  Northern Pike - Fair: Pike are biting off anglers’ lines. Use a steal leader with a spoon along vegetation edges near springs. Pike are great eating; take time to learn how to clean them.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)
The Upper Iowa is in excellent condition. Clarity and temperatures are improving fish activity. Northern Pike - Good: Use a steel leader tipped with 1/4 oz. jig tipped with natural colored plastic to a 3 inch jerk bait fished around tributaries or brush piles. Walleye- Good: Find a walleye drifting through a deeper hole or along a current break. Use a jig tipped with a twister tail or worm. Try also a small crankbait. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Try jigs tipped with any number of plastic tails.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)
Water temperatures are in the mid to low 70's with good clarity. Morning and midafternoon is best for bank anglers. Northern Pike - Good: Use a steel leader tipped with 1/4 oz. jig tipped with natural colored plastic to a 3 inch jerk bait fished around tributaries or brush piles. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Find a smallie in the current breaks or near rock ledges. Use jigs tipped with any number of plastic tails. Walleye - Good: Drift a jig tipped with a twister tail or worm, or crankbait through a deeper hole or along a current break. Anglers are catching a good number of 10- to 12-inch fish with larger fish caught while trolling at night. Channel Catfish - Good Catch a catfish from shore using a hook tipped with a crawler. Evening is best.

Volga Lake
Morning and evening bite is best. Overcast days extend angling times. Black Crappie - Fair: Use a small hook tipped with a minnow under a bobber near submersed trees for suspended crappie. Largemouth Bass - Good: Bass are hitting crankbaits. Try a topwater lure in the evening as fish come in shallow to feed. Bluegill - Fair: Use a small hook tipped with a piece of worm under a bobber. Channel Catfish - Good: Use stink bait, worms, and cheese baits. Catfish are active in the evening.

Chances for rain in the weekend forecast with temperature highs in the low 80's and 60's for lows. Area streams and rivers are in good condition. For current fishing information, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.


Brinker Lake
There have been reports of anglers catching northern pike in Brinker Lake. Northern Pike - Good: Troll spinner or crankbaits at different depths or contours for some good pike action.

Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)
Bluegill - Good: Try a piece of nightcrawler under a bobber. Largemouth Bass - Good: Use artificial spinner baits and crankbaits or plastics. Channel Catfish - Fair: Channel catfish bite has slowed, but anglers are still catching a few; stink baits are usually most productive for this time of year.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
The river is as low as it has been all summer, so the fish are concentrated. Walleye - Fair: Try a jig and plastic tipped with half a nightcrawler. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Use artificial spinner baits or a jig and plastic tipped with half a nightcrawler. Channel Catfish - Good: Try stink baits on the upstream side of log jams; catfish will come to scented baits. Northern Pike- Good: Spinner baits have been the "go-to" lure for northern pike. Try near areas of structure or woody debris.

George Wyth Lake
There have been reports of anglers catching northern pike in George Wyth Lake. Northern Pike - Good: Troll spinner or crankbaits at different depths or contours.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
River levels are at an all-time low for this summer. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Try artificial spinner baits or a jig and plastic tipped with half a nightcrawler. Walleye - Good: Use a jig and plastic tipped with half a nightcrawler or a shallow running crankbait.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
The river is as low as it has been all summer, so the fish are concentrated. Walleye - Fair: Try a jig and plastic tipped with half a nightcrawler or a shallow running crankbait. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Use artificial spinner baits or a jig and plastic tipped with half a nightcrawler. Channel Catfish - Good: Try stink baits on the upstream side of log jams; catfish will come to scented baits.

Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
There have been no reports for walleye or smallmouth bass, but anglers are reporting catches of northern pike in the upper and lower portions of the Wapsipinicon River. Walleye and smallmouth fishing should be productive as the river is at its lowest level of the summer. Northern Pike - Good: Spinner baits have been the "go-to" lure for northern pike; try near areas of structure or woody debris.

The weekend forecast looks fantastic for fishing as all lakes, rivers and streams are in good condition. Anglers have had some success trolling for pike on some area Black Hawk County lakes. Interior river fishing has been extremely good for walleye, smallmouth bass, channel catfish and northern pike. Trout streams remain in excellent condition. Call the N.E. Iowa district office at 563-927-3276 for more information.

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