DNR fishing report for New London area for Sept. 5

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. Sandbars upriver of Wapello have been out for a while. Channel Catfish - Good: Try minnows and nightcrawlers 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 is in the upper 70s. 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.

River stages have been steady this past week for Pools 16-19. Water clarity is fair. Main channel water temperature is around 77 degrees. If you have questions on fishing Pools 16-19, contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.

Mississippi River Pool 18 33 min (30 mi): Tailwater stage is 6.18 feet at Lock and Dam 17 at New Boston. Water is forecast to stay fairly steady over the weekend. Flood stage is 15 feet. Bluegill - No Report: Look for bluegills around brush piles and snags in the backwaters. Use pieces of worms under a bobber. With warmer water conditions look for brush piles with a little bit of current. Channel Catfish - No Report: Look for channel catfish upstream of brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Try cut shad, stink bait or nightcrawlers. They can be caught on the wing-dams. Largemouth Bass - No Report: Look for largemouth around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels with the lower and warmer water conditions.

Walleye - No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing-dams. Cast or troll crankbaits. Try trolling three-way rigs with half a nightcrawler.

Mississippi River Pool 19: Tailwater stage is 3.37 feet and falling at Lock and Dam 18 above Burlington; forecast to stay fairly steady over the weekend. Flood stage is 10 feet. Bluegill - No Report: Look for bluegills around brush piles and snags in the backwaters. Try pieces of worm under a bobber. With warmer water conditions look for brush piles with little bit of current. Channel Catfish - No Report: Look for channel catfish upstream of brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels and wing-dams. Use cut shad, stink bait or nightcrawlers. Largemouth Bass - No Report: With the lower and warmer water conditions look for largemouth around brush piles and snags along the main channel and side channels. Walleye - No Report: Look for walleyes on the wing-dams. Cast or troll crankbaits. Walleyes can also be caught on the wing-dams trolling three-way rigs with half a nightcrawler.

  Buy Photo