Weekly fishing report for Southeast Iowa

This weekly fishing report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff. You can check the activity of your favorite lake or stretch of river within each district, including which species are being caught, a rating of the bite (slow, fair, good or excellent), as well as a hot bait or lure pattern.

Big Hollow Lake

Water temperatures have fallen back into the 40's. Bluegill - Slow: Look for bluegills out in 8 to 12 feet of water. Work the flooded timber or the big brush piles at the upper end of the lake past the beach. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Work slowly around the trees out in 10-12 feet of water using soft plastics or jigs.

Lake Belva Deer

Water temperatures are back into the low 40's. Just a very few boats out this week. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills are out deep, 10-15 feet down in the trees, and look to stay there. Black Crappie - Slow: Most crappies have moved out to deeper water. Try vertically jigging or drift or troll small jigs. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Work slowly around in the flooded timber in 10 to 15 feet of water using soft plastics or jigs.

Lake Darling

Water temperatures have been dropping since last Thursday. Largemouth Bass - Slow: The weather forecast makes it look like bass will stay out deep until next spring. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills are out in 10 - 14 foot of water around the habitat. The bite will be light on small jigs tipped with bait; think ice fishing. Black Crappie - Slow: Last Friday (11/20), an angler caught crappie in 8 to 9 feet of water over the rock piles using a slip bobber and live bait. Lots of crappies are being marked out in 12-14 foot of water.

Lost Grove Lake

The fish are getting ready for ice to start to form. Look for them out deep around the habitat where you find them during the ice fishing season. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Bass are out in 8-12 feet of water around the flooded trees. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills are out deep. Work the habitat in 12-16 feet of water. Successful anglers are vertical jigging small jigs tipped with a little live bait.

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

Lake Macbride

Any sized motor may be used at a maximum of 5 mph. A dock is available at the main ramp, along with a new boat slip at the main ramp and Opie Ave ramp. Water temperature this week was around 45 degrees. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Fair: Try soft plastics in 10-20 feet of water. Some fish are on the bottom while some are suspended under schools of shad. Walleye - Slow: Try jigging on or along rock in 10-20 feet of water. Black Crappie - Fair: A few fish are being caught over brush piles or suspended over/along deeper rock. Muskellunge - Fair: Try jerk baits fished in rock banks, points, and reefs.

Pleasant Creek Lake

The docks at main ramp and the bait shop ramp will stay in until ice up. Pit toilets are still available at main ramp. Black Crappie - Slow: A few fish are being caught around brush piles. Muskellunge - Slow: Try jerkbaits along the dam and over rock reefs, banks, and points.

Fishing reports have been scarce since the cool down. For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Lake Miami

Bluegill - Slow: Use small jigs around structure. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Try soft plastics around the cedar tree piles. Black Crappie - Slow: Use jigs tipped with a minnow around submerged structure.

Lake Sugema

Black Crappie - Slow: Drift jigs tipped with a minnow in 6-10 feet of water for suspended crappies. Use jigs around submerged structure and the standing timber. Largemouth Bass - Slow: Try soft plastics along the rip-rapped areas and the deeper structure.

Lake Wapello

Largemouth Bass - Slow: Try plastics and spinnerbaits fished around the cedar tree structures. Bluegill - Slow: Use small jigs tipped with a chunk of nightcrawler around the cedar tree piles.

Ottumwa Park Pond South (Trout Pond)

Try small in-line spinners or jigs and twister tails for rainbow trout. You need a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout.

Rathbun Reservoir

The current lake level is 903.23 msl. Recreation pool is 904 msl. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels, so make sure to properly drain, clean, and dry equipment before transporting to another waterbody. The Corps of Engineers have pulled their boat docks and their campgrounds and ramps are closed. State owned ramps are still open. Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Slow: Try jigging spoons around underwater structure in 12-16 feet of water. Walleye - Slow: Use jig and minnow combinations around rock piles, submerged points and areas with depth changes.