DNR Fishing Report for New London area

Sites selected to report are within a one-hour drive from New London. Information is taken from the DNR Iowa Fishing Report. For more information on the following lakes and rivers call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.

Lake Geode 16 min (10 mi): Water temperature is 80 degrees. Bluegill — Slow: Bluegills are still out in deeper water. Vertical jig over the habitat in those depth moving till you find a concentration of fish. Channel Catfish — Slow: Work the ends of the long mounds across from the beach where they touch the old creek channel.

Big Hollow Lake 21 minutes (18 mi): Water temperature have dropped with cooler weather. Most fish remain out in deeper water. Black Crappie — Slow: Crappies are in deeper water in the flooded timber around the old creek channel where it follows the bluff line on the south side of the lake. Bluegill — Slow: Concentrate efforts along the south side. Try fishing early in the morning; use slip bobbers and worms at a depth of around 6 feet.

Cedar River (Moscow to Columbus Junction): The Cedar continues to drop very slowly east of Conesville. Channel Catfish — Good: Catfishing has been decent post sunset/predawn. Target the slack water areas around the log jams and behind the sandbars that are starting to show.

Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River): 40 min (30 mi): Water levels are holding steady. Channel Catfish — Good: Try minnows and night crawlers along the back drop-offs on the sandbars and just behind the back edges of the brush piles, not too far out from the bank.

Lake Darling 46 min (40 mi): Water temperature have gotten back up to 80 degrees the last couple of afternoons. Cooled back down to the upper 70s at night. Bluegill — Slow: Some bluegills are in rock piles in 4 to 6 feet of water; most remain out in deeper water. Channel Catfish — Fair: When we get decent rain, they focus their attention to the weirs in the in-lake silt dam.

Water level has been somewhat stable the past six weeks. Quality fishing has returned to the river. If you have angling questions, please call Bellevue Fisheries Management at 563-880-8781.

No fishing reports were issued for Pools 18 and 19 this week. Pool 15 and up river are reporting Excellent Channel Catfish and Freshwater Drum fishing. Catfish are responding to stink bait rigs near shore. Drum prefer a worm rig with egg sinker along the shore in moderate current. Smallmouth Bass received Good ratings.