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. Water clarity at about 3 feet. 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 is between 78 to 80 degrees. There are plenty of duckweed up at the upper end. 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 — Fair: Bluegill fishing has picked up a little bit with anglers working the edge of the flooded timber in 6 to 7 feet of water down toward the dam.

Cedar River (Moscow to Columbus Junction): No report.

Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River): 40 min (30 mi): Water temperature is at 71 degrees. Water levels are holding steady. Boatable water in the Wapello area. Up near Columbus Junction is getting kind of shallow. 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 was up to 79 degrees in the afternoons. Water still a green color, and fish are not in a hurry to move shallow. Bluegill — Slow: Some bluegills are in rock piles in 4 to 6 feet of water; most remain out in deeper water. Channel Catfish — Fair: Work the rocky shoreline with cutbait or chicken liver.

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

River stages have been falling this past week for Pools 16-19. River stages are forecast to keep falling. Main channel water clarity is fair. Main channel water temperature is around 76 degrees. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.

Mississippi River Pool 18: Tailwater stage is 3.82 feet and falling at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston. Flood stage is 15 feet. Black Crappie — No Report: Look for crappies in the backwaters around brush piles and snags. With the lower water conditions, look for deeper brush piles or brush piles with a little bit of flow. Try jigs and minnows or jigs and plastics. Crappies can also be caught fishing with minnows under a slip bobber. Channel Catfish — No Report: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Try cut shad, stink bait, or crawlers above brush piles or on the upstream side of the wing-dam. With lower water conditions, catfish will most likely be toward the ends of the wing-dams where there is more current. Largemouth Bass — No Report: With lower water conditions, look for largemouth around brush piles and snags along the main and side channels. Look for snags with a little bit of current. Walleye — No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing-dams. Try trolling three-way rigs with half a night crawler on the upstream side of the wing-dam. Walleyes can also be caught on the wing-dams casting or trolling crankbaits. With lower water conditions look for walleyes toward tips of the wing-dam where there is more current.

Mississippi River Pool 19: Tailwater stage is 1.66 feet and falling at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington. Flood stage is 10 feet. Black Crappie — No Report: Look for crappies in the backwaters around brush piles and snags. With the lower water conditions, look for deeper brush piles or brush piles with a little bit of flow. Try jigs and minnows or jigs and plastics. Crappies can also be caught fishing with minnows under a slip bobber. Channel Catfish — No Report: Look for channel catfish around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Try cut shad, stink bait, or crawlers above brush piles or on the upstream side of the wing-dam. With lower water conditions, catfish will most likely be toward the ends of the wing-dams where there is more current. Largemouth Bass — No Report: With lower water conditions, look for largemouth around brush piles and snags along the main and side channels. Look for snags with a little bit of current. Walleye — No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing-dams. Try trolling three-way rigs with half a night crawler on the upstream side of the wing-dam. Walleyes can also be caught on the wing-dams casting or trolling crankbaits. With lower water conditions look for walleyes toward tips of the wing-dam where there is more current.