| For more information contact the Lake MacBride Fish Station at (319) 624-3615 |
| 8"-9" of ice reported in the good areas with several bad heaves with open water. Ice conditions near dam are reported as poor with very few anglers fishing at lake. Extreme caution is advised. |
Pleasant Creek did not have a general survey this year, but anglers can expect moderate bluegills up to 9 inches. Crappie numbers are poor. White bass numbers are good with lots of 10- to 16-inch fish. Hybrid striped bass numbers are good with fish up to 6 pounds. These fish have only been in here up to 4 years and will continue to grow at a high rate. Largemouth bass numbers are good, but size is marginal as most fish are usually under 16 inches. Musky numbers are good with most fish caught being in the 36- to 42-inch range. Channel catfish are moderate in numbers and can be up to 15 pounds. Night electrofishing was done this fall and there are good numbers of walleyes. Many 10- to 19-inch fish with fish up to 30 inches available. There is also a large number of 7- to 8 fish coming on thanks to fry stocking in the spring and large fingerlings stocked in the fall. A restoration project projected to start in the fall of 2015 which will include the drawing down of the lake by 15 feet. At this time, shorelines will be deepened, shores will be rocked, reefs and islands will be created, and fish habitat will be placed. The fish will not be manipulated and the project is hoped to be completed by spring of 2016, mother nature depending. (2014)
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 .