| Most Mount Ayr district lakes have variable ice conditions ranging from 0 to 6 inches. Areas of lakes that were open last week have refroze, but may have thin ice. Warm weather is expected this weekend which could deteriorate ice conditions. For more information, please contact the Mount Ayr Fisheries office at 641-931-6031. |
| **Driving is prohibited on any service roads used to access the lakebed and the lakebed itself.** Lake level is currently 11 feet below normal pool. Boat ramp lanes are out of the water at the main boat ramp. |
Spring electrofishing indicated a moderate density of Largemouth Bass in 2022 with bass up to 19 inches available to anglers. Good numbers of Bluegill and Crappie were sampled in 2022. Bluegill up to 9 inches and Black Crappie up to 11 inches are available to anglers. Walleye were sampled in moderate abundance in 2022. Average Walleye size is approximately 16 inches with Walleye up to 27 inches available to anglers. Good numbers of hybrid striped bass were sampled in 2022 with fish up to 22 inches available to anglers. Blue Catfish were sampled in low abundance. The largest Blue Catfish sampled in 2022 was 24 inches, however larger fish are available to anglers.(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 .