| Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing in south central Iowa. Ice conditions vary at each lake with open water at some areas. Use caution if going out. |
| The lake has quite a bit of open water due to the Canada geese keeping areas open. No fishing activity has been occurring due to this. The ice should be considered unsafe and too thin for anglers. |
In the fall of 2019 a selective treatment of illegally introduced gizzard shad was conducted. This treatment was successful and all gizzard shad have been eliminated from the system. Gizzard shad are injurious in smaller lakes like Lake Sugema and impact growth and reproduction of game fish, as well as disrupting water quality, making the lake less clear. Prior to the treatment, the public was informed that some game fish would be lost as part of the process, but that the populations of these species would be minimally impacted. Angling in 2020 for crappies was excellent. Both black and white crappie are abundant and fish up to 12 inches are abundant. Larger crappies are available as well. Largemouth bass numbers have declined in recent years (as a result of the gizzard shad introduction) but a very large year class was produced in 2020 and these fish will grow quickly. Bluegill quality remains poor; however, these fish will increase in length and 8 plus inch fish will be available in 2021.(2020)
In nearly all cases, Iowa fish are safe to eat. Cleaning and/or preparing the meal causes most of the problems regarding taste or color of fish. Like all living creatures, fish are susceptible to diseases, parasites, and other naturally occurring conditions in the water. If you suspect your fish is affected by any of these conditions, do not eat it. Consider eating smaller and younger fish which usually have lower levels of contaminants than larger ones. Most contaminants accumulate in larger, older fish. For additional information, check out our resources for eating and cooking Iowa caught fish.
To learn more about fish tissue monitoring, visit our Fish Tissue Monitoring page .