Nelson Park Lake
Some panfish and catfish are being taken. Fishing has slowed.

Yellow Smoke Park Lake
Anglers are catching some panfish. It has been fairly slow.

Crawford Creek Impoundment
Fishing has slowed somewhat. Bluegill - Good: Shore and boat anglers are catching a few good sized bluegills with small hooks and jigs. Anglers have been fishing in shallow water and setting the bobber at about 6 inches. Crappie - Good: Anglers are catching some nice crappie using small hooks and jigs with small minnows. Fish in shallows with a bobber.

Badger Lake
North of Ft. Dodge. Fishing has slowed as mid summer weather conditions have arrived. They are still catching some panfish. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers have been catching some hand-size bluegill close to shore. Crappie - Fair: Some 9 - 10 inch fish have been caught on small jigs and minnows.

Brushy Creek Lake
Water clarity is still good. Nice bluegill, crappie and a few walleye are being caught. Please clean your fish at the floating fish cleaning platform at the west ramp. Channel Catfish - Good: Catfish are hitting on stink bait and night crawlers along the shore line. Bluegill - Good: Bluegill can be found under trees and in the weeds. Use a small worm on a plain hook in 4 to 10 feet. Crappie - Good: Crappies are in the trees; try a small jig or minnow rig and fish in 10 to 14 feet of water. Walleye - Good: Walleye have been hitting on leeches.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Fishing has been good. A little spotty after weather fronts moved through. Remember that Storm Lake has a 17-22 inch slot length limit. All walleye in that range must be immediately released. Channel Catfish - Excellent: As lake warms the catfishing has improved. They are biting on a variety of baits from shore and in the rocks. White Bass - Good: White bass are being caught at Frank Starr Park and off the rocks on the big island by throwing twisters and crankbaits. Anglers have also started to catch whites off the north shore west of Chautauqua jetty. Walleye - Good: Anglers are still catching fish while trolling slowly with Shad Raps. Good colors are: hot steele, clown, purple haze and perch. People have been having good luck drifting with live bait using 1/8 ounce jig heads around Frank Starr, south of big island and the college island.

North Twin Lake
Fishing has slowed; anglers are catching some nice bullheads. Channel Catfish - Fair: Anglers are catching a few catfish on liver.

Black Hawk Lake
Bullhead and catfish fishing have been very good. Water has warmed considerably the last week. Bullhead - Excellent: Anglers are doing well for 8 to 9 inch bullheads. Channel Catfish - Good: Shore anglers are having good luck catching 1.5 to 2 pound catfish on various baits including leeches, night crawlers and stink bait.

Fishing has been good; water temperatures have been relatively cool for this time of year. Water clarity has been good to excellent in most lakes.

Beeds Lake
Crappies and Bluegill fishing is fair.

Briggs Woods Lake
Crappie and bluegill fishing is good. Channel catfish are biting on liver.

Eldred Sherwood Lake
Bluegill fishing has been good using a piece of night crawler fished under a bobber near the weed edge. Channel Catfish - Good: biting on cut bait.

Lower Pine Lake
Bluegill fishing is fair using a piece of night crawler fished under a bobber near the shoreline brush piles. Channel Catfish - Good: using liver.

Upper Pine Lake
Largemouth bass fishing is fair using a Lindy rig or Carolina rig with a worm or minnow. Channel catfish are biting on liver. Bluegill - Excellent: Fish the shoreline with a small piece of worm.

Lake Smith
Bluegill fishing has been good, try a piece of night crawler fished under a bobber. Channel Catfish - Good: biting on cut bait.

Lake Catherine
Bluegill fishing has been slow. Largemouth bass fishing is good using jigs and plastic baits.

Clear Lake
Yellow bass fishing is slow, try drift fishing the reefs with live bait. Channel Catfish - Good: A few catfish are being caught with night crawlers or cut bait fished on the bottom at the Ventura grade and McIntosh State Park shoreline. Walleye - Fair: Walleyes (mostly sub-legal) are being caught off the jetty using minnows. Yellow Bass - Fair, try drift fishing the reefs with live bait until you find the fish.

Lake Cornelia
Bullhead fishing is fair using a night crawler fished on the bottom. Channel Catfish - Fair: Channel catfish are biting cut bait and liver. Walleye - Slow: A few Walleyes are being caught on trolled crankbaits.

Little Wall Lake
Small crappies, largemouth bass and Channel catfish fishing is good.

West Twin Lake
Bullhead fishing is good using a night crawler fished on the bottom.

Rice Lake
Bullhead fishing is good fishing with a crawler off the bottom.

Bluebill Lake
Bluegill fishing has been slow. Largemouth bass are biting on crankbaits and plastic baits. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegill fishing has been fair fishing the weed edges. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Largemouth bass are biting on crankbaits and plastic baits.

Shell Rock River (above Greene)
Channel Catfish and Smallmouth bass fishing is fair. Channel Catfish - Fair: using cut bait or liver. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: using jigs and crankbaits.

Winnebago River
Channel Catfish and Smallmouth bass fishing is fair.

Big Spirit Lake
Weed beds have expanded quickly and can be seen almost to the surface. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Use twister tails or a slip bobber and leech along rock bars that connect with weed lines. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use soft plastics or live bait around weed beds or at Buffalo Run. Yellow Perch - Good: Drift fish while using bottom bouncers or anchor and vertical jig with small jigging spoons tipped with worms in 20-22 foot of water. Walleye - Good: Drift fish with Lindy rigs, vertical jig with leeches, or slip bobber fish around weed beds. Fish are also being caught trolling with crankbaits along weed lines. Muskellunge - Fair: Fish are being caught while trolling with large crankbaits or inline spinners.

East Okoboji Lake
Channel Catfish - Fair: Use stink bait or chubs around the bridges or off the docks. Yellow Bass - Excellent: Drift fish along boat docks with jigging spoons tipped with worms or slip bobber fish from docks.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Walleye - Fair: Troll with crankbaits on the north shore and around the island.

West Okoboji Lake
Weed beds are growing well with warm weather and just about any species can be caught around them. Northern Pike - Good: Troll crankbaits or spoons along weed lines. White Bass - Good: Fish along points with jigs at sunset. Bluegill - Excellent: Fish with small hair jigs or a split shot and hook with live bait around boat docks or in 15-18 foot water along weed beds. Smallmouth Bass - Good: Fish the rock bars at Fort Dodge and Gull points with jerk baits or a lead head and leech. Walleye - Fair: Use slip bobber and leech around weed beds at sunset.

Five Island Lake
Channel Catfish - Good: Use stink bait or chubs at the railroad bridge. Walleye - Fair: Troll with crankbaits along drop-offs.

Lost Island Lake
Walleye - Good: Trolling with crankbaits.

Willow Creek
Bluegill - Good: Fish along edge of weed beds with small jigs or a bobber and small hook with a piece of worm. Large pumpkinseed sunfish are also being caught.

Swan Lake
Bullhead - Good: Use worms along the north shore.

Tuttle Lake
Crappie - Fair: Fish the south shore along boat docks with small jigs. Walleye - Good: Troll with planer boards using crankbaits.

Silver Lake (Palo Alto)
Bullhead - Good: Use worms on the east shore.

Big Sioux River
Blue catfish have also been caught using large cut bait in deep holes, current seams, and brush piles near its confluence with the Missouri River. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Use cut bait, chubs, or stink bait in deep holes and brush piles. Flathead Catfish - Good: Use large live bait along brush piles, cut banks, and rock shorelines.

Little Sioux River (state line to Linn Grove)
With recent rains water levels have risen. Channel Catfish - Good: Use large minnow or stink bait in holes and above brush piles.

West Fork Des Moines (state line to Emmetsburg)
With recent rains water levels have risen. Channel Catfish - Excellent: Use chubs or stink bait in holes and around brush piles. Walleye - Slow: Use twister tails or crankbaits along current breaks and holes. Fishing has slowed with rising water levels.

Kids Corner: If you are looking for a place to take a child fishing then take them to Scharnburg Park located 5 miles west of Spencer on B24. Use a small bobber and piece of night crawler on the fishing jetty on the west shore. Expect to catch bluegill, green sunfish, bullheads, and bass along the rocks or willows located along the shore.

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