| Most area rivers remain low and mostly ice covered. The majority of lakes and ponds still have 12 inches covered with 1 to 3 inches of snow. Ice conditions can change rapidly with warmer temperatures. A cloudy weekend with highs in upper 20's and teens for lows. For fishing information, please call the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324. |
| Four inches of snow covering about 20 inches of ice. Few anglers out this week. |
| Bluegill - Slow: Fish activity slowed with snow on top of ice. |
| Black Crappie - Slow: |
The fishery in Lake Meyer is responding well after a 2015 drawdown to build a 5-acre wetland and rock chute spillway, seal small sinkholes in the dam, and install various fish attracting structures. Northern Pike are stocked each year into this little gem and quality fish, though rarely caught, are present. Good numbers of 8 inch Bluegill and 10 inch crappie are available to the shore angler and boater alike. Largemouth Bass 12- to 14-inches are common, but find a few lunkers lurking around the edges of vegetation. Channel Catfish are stocked in odd years. Quality size catfish up to 30 inches can be caught along the dam face. (2022)
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 .