Iowa DNR fishing report says lakes ice-free

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has released the following report on fishing conditions on various bodies of water in Southeast Iowa as of March 18.

Big Hollow Lake

The lake is ice-free.

Lake Belva Deer

The lake lost the last of its ice late last week. Channel Catfish - Fair: Catch catfish near where the marsh dumps in and in the campground arm of the lake.

Lake Darling

The lake is ice-free. Docks are not in yet. Channel Catfish - Fair: Anglers are catching catfish along the in-lake silt dams and up a little into Honey Creek.

Lost Grove Lake

The lake is ice-free; last week's winds took out the last of the ice. Channel Catfish - No Report: Find catfish working the rocky points where the wind is blowing into shore.

For more information on the above lakes, call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.

Hawthorn Lake

The lake is open water.

Lake Miami

The lake is ice-free. Target channel catfish this time of year.

Lake Sugema

The lake is open water.

Lake Wapello

The lake is open water. Target channel catfish with nightcrawlers.

Rathbun Reservoir

The current lake level is 905.12 msl. Recreation pool is 904 msl. The lake is open water. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels, so make sure to properly drain, clean, and dry equipment before transporting to another waterbody. Channel Catfish - Fair: Target windblown shorelines with shad sides or nightcrawlers.

Red Haw Lake

The boat docks are in. Target channel catfish with nightcrawlers.

The lakes in south central Iowa are ice-free. The district includes Appanoose, Davis, Lucas, Mahaska, Monroe, Wapello, Wayne and Van Buren counties. Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa.