05/07/2026
🎣 Thursday Fishing Update!
It’s Fishing Report Thursday, and the latest Iowa DNR updates are in. Whether you’re planning a quick evening cast or gearing up for a weekend on the water, Outdoors & More has the gear and local know‑how to help you make the most of it.
Shop local, stay prepared, and enjoy the great Iowa outdoors.
Northeast Iowa DNR Fishing Report 5/7/2026
Decorah Management District
• Contact Person: Caleb Schnitzler - 563-382-8324
Conditions will be more seasonal through the weekend. Daytime temperatures will each into the 60s with overnight lows in the 40s. Area river levels are normalizing and clearing. The amount of rain on Thursday evening may affect water quality. Stocking calendars for the 2026 season are available on the DNR Trout Fishing website. Last updated on 04/23/2026
Allamakee County Trout Streams (Allamakee)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Fourth turkey hunting season runs through May 17. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors when walking to your favorite trout stream.
• Brook Trout - Slow: Skinny water with dense beds of aquatic vegetation to hide in is a brook trout's favorite hangout. Currents in tight runs around rocks can pull your line and make your fly look unnatural. Use a reach cast to lay the line across the current to get a few extra seconds of drift.
• Brown Trout - Good: Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with a small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.
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Cedar River (above Nashua) (Floyd)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water levels are falling with improved clarity. Water temperature is in the 50s.
• Channel Catfish - Good: Use a hook with a dead chub, fresh dead minnow, or stink bait fished on the bottom.
• Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Find smallies in off-channel areas. Use a small jig or crankbait fished near the bottom.
• Walleye - Good: Use a jig with a live minnow about a foot off the bottom in an off channel area or back eddy.
• White Sucker - Good: Use a jig tipped with a worm fished on bottom.
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Clayton County Trout Streams (Clayton)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Fourth turkey hunting season runs through May 17. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors when walking to your favorite trout stream.
• Brook Trout - Slow: Skinny water with dense beds of aquatic vegetation to hide in is a brook trout's favorite hangout. Currents in tight runs around rocks can pull your line and make your fly look unnatural. Use a reach cast to lay the line across the current to get a few extra seconds of drift.
• Brown Trout - Good: Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.
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Fayette County Trout Streams (Fayette)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Fourth turkey hunting season runs through May 17. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors when walking to your favorite trout stream.
• Brown Trout - Good: Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.
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Lake Hendricks (Howard)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water clarity is improving. Water temperature is in the 50s.
• Black Crappie - Good: Try a jig head tipped with a minnow or plastic jig fished from shore.
• Bluegill - Fair: Gills come in shore toward evening to find food near downed logs or trees. Downed logs provide food for aquatic insects and small crustaceans, favorite treats for bluegills, and a safe place to escape predators.
• Largemouth Bass - Fair: Bass are nesting in shallow water. Use a spinner or crankbait with a slow retrieve from shore.
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Lake Meyer (Winneshiek)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water clarity is excellent. Best bite is in the morning and evening.
• Black Crappie - Good: Find crappie suspended. Try a small spinner or crankbait with a slow or varied retrieval.
• Bluegill - Fair: Gills come in shore toward evening to find food near downed logs or trees. Downed logs provide food for aquatic insects and small crustaceans, favorite treats for bluegills, and a safe place to escape predators.
• Largemouth Bass - Fair: With warmer water, bass are starting to make nests near shore. Use a crankbait or a spinner retrieved slowly.
• Northern Pike - Fair: Pike hang in w**dy areas stalking prey. Use a spoon or hair jig to tease this feisty fish.
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Mitchell County Trout Streams (Mitchell)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Fourth turkey hunting season runs through May 17. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors when walking to your favorite trout stream.
• Brown Trout - Good: Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with a small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.
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Turkey River (above Clermont) (Fayette)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water levels are falling with improved clarity. Water temperatures are in the 50s.
• Smallmouth Bass - Fair
• Walleye - Good: Use a jig with a live minnow about a foot off the bottom in an off channel area or back eddy.
• White Sucker - Excellent: The sucker bite is on with temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. Use a hook or jig tipped with a nightcrawler fished on the bottom.
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Upper Iowa River (above Decorah) (Winneshiek)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water levels are falling with excellent clarity. Water temperature is in the 50s.
• Smallmouth Bass - Slow: Find smallies in deeper holes near the stream bottom; try to entice them with smaller presentations and a slow retrieve.
• Walleye - Fair: Use a jig with a live minnow about a foot off the bottom in an off channel area. Try fishing deeper or later in day on clear days.
• White Sucker - Excellent: The sucker bite is on with water temperatures in the mid-50s. Use a jig tipped with a worm fished on the bottom.
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Volga Lake (Fayette)
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Fish activity slowed as the air temperatures stay cool. Try fishing over structure or shallower areas toward evening.
• Black Crappie - Fair: Try a jig head tipped with a minnow or plastic jig from shoreline.
• Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill bite slowed as the water temperatures cool. Continue to use small jigs tipped with a waxworm or spike.
• Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish are hitting worms or dead chubs fished off bottom.
• Largemouth Bass - Good: Bass are hitting spinner baits near structure about 2 to 3 feet below surface.
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Winneshiek County Trout Streams (Winneshiek)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Catchable trout stocking season is in full swing. Fourth turkey hunting season runs through May 17. Avoid wearing red, white, or blue colors when walking to your favorite trout stream.
• Brook Trout - Slow: Skinny water with dense beds of aquatic vegetation to hide in is a brook trout's favorite hangout. Currents in tight runs around rocks can pull your line and make your fly look unnatural. Use a reach cast to lay the line across the current to get a few extra seconds of drift.
• Brown Trout - Good: Early spring hatches often feature smaller insects. Drop one hook size or use a smaller fly if you are getting rises, but no hookups.
• Rainbow Trout - Excellent: Freshly stocked rainbows hungry for a hook tipped with small piece of worm, cheese, or dough ball will fill a limit quickly. For anglers interested in catch and release, use flies imitating small crustaceans, midges, mayfly larvae, or caddis flies.
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Manchester Management District
• Contact Person: Dan Kirby - 563-927-3276
Interior rivers are falling with good water clarity for fishing. Water temperatures are in the 50s; fishing should improve with higher temperatures. Anglers are catching catfish, walleye and smallmouth bass on the Cedar River and Maquoketa River. Anglers are starting to pick up some crappie on the lakes in and around Cedar Falls/Waterloo area and in Lake Delhi. Trout streams in Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson counties are in excellent condition; we have received many good reports on trout fishing. Contact your local area bait and tackle shops for the most up-to-date reports. Last updated on 05/07/2026
Baileys Ford (Delaware)
• Ramp Condition: Not applicable
Use smaller crankbaits or flashy mepps spinner baits.
• Rainbow Trout - Good: Use small jigs, smaller crankbaits or flashy mepps spinner baits
Mississippi River Reports
Guttenberg Management District
• Contact Person: Karen Osterkamp - 563-252-1156
Water levels on the Upper Mississippi are gradually receding. Water clarity is stained. Boaters should use caution with floating trees/debris in the water. Water temperatures remain in the upper 50s. Expect the bite to pick up as water levels stabilize and temperatures rise. Last updated on 05/07/2026
Pool 09, Mississippi River (Allamakee)
• Water Temperature (°F): 59.0
• Ramp Condition: Useable
River level is 9.3 feet at Lansing and is expected to remain high then gradually taper off next week. New Albin Army Road has reopened. Water clarity is still stained with some debris and trees floating in the channel.
• Black Crappie - Slow: Try small jigs tipped with a live minnow in the warmer water of backwaters and along docks in side channels and protected marina areas..
• Channel Catfish - Fair: Expect the catfish bite to pick up as water temperatures rise into the 60s. Try a bit of crawler fished off the bottom.
• Freshwater Drum - Good: Freshwater drum are biting on a piece of crawler fished just off the bottom in moderate current.
• Northern Pike - Fair: Comment: Cast chartreuse colored baits along shorelines and w**d edges to hook a post-spawn northern pike.
• Sauger - Slow: Try live minnows to entice the bite. With higher water coming down, look for fish to move off to slack current downstream.
• Smallmouth Bass - Good: Cast inline spinners along the rocks in areas with moderate current to catch feeding smallmouth bass.
• Walleye - Slow: Try live minnows to entice the bite. With higher water coming down, look for fish to move off to slack current downstream.
• White Bass - Fair: Cast an inline spinner in areas with current where white bass are chasing minnows.
• White Crappie - Slow: Try small jigs tipped with a live minnow in the warmer water of backwaters and along docks in side channels and protected marina areas.
• Yellow Perch - Slow: Reports of a few perch biting before the rain and rise in water levels. Use jigs tipped with live minnows in off-current areas.
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Pool 10, Mississippi River (Clayton)
• Water Temperature (°F): 59.0
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water level is 618.6 feet at the Lynxville dam and is expected to remain there before gradually receding next week. Sny Magill landing road has reopened, but docks are not in yet. Water clarity is stained with debris floating in the channel.
• Black Crappie - Fair: Try small jigs tipped with a live minnow in the warmer water of backwaters and along docks in side channels and protected marina areas.
• Channel Catfish - Fair: Expect the catfish bite to pick up as water temperatures rise into the 60s. Try a bit of crawler fished off the bottom.
• Freshwater Drum - Good: Freshwater drum are biting on a piece of crawler fished just off the bottom in moderate current.
• Northern Pike - Fair: Comment: Cast chartreuse colored baits along shorelines and w**d edges to hook a post-spawn northern pike.
• Sauger - Slow: Try live minnows to entice the bite. With higher water coming down, look for fish to move off to slack current downstream.
• Smallmouth Bass - Good: Cast inline spinners along the rocks in areas with moderate current to catch feeding smallmouth bass.
• Walleye - Slow: Try live minnows to entice the bite. With higher water coming down, look for fish to move off to slack current downstream.
• White Bass - Fair: Cast an inline spinner in areas with current where white bass are chasing minnows.
• White Crappie - Slow: Try small jigs tipped with a live minnow in the warmer water of backwaters and along docks in side channels and protected marina areas.
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Pool 11, Mississippi River (Clayton)
• Water Temperature (°F): 59.0
• Ramp Condition: Useable
Water level has fallen to 10.2 feet at the Lock and Dam below Guttenberg and is expected to remain steady this week. When the lock gates are out, look for fish to move away from the dam to slack water. Try fishing the downstream current seams off the main channel. Water clarity is stained with some trees and debris floating through the dam.
• Black Crappie - Slow: Try small jigs tipped with a live minnow in the warmer water of backwaters and along docks in side channels and protected marina areas.
• Channel Catfish - Fair: Expect the catfish bite to pick up as water temperatures rise into the 60s. Try a bit of crawler fished off the bottom.
• Freshwater Drum - Good: Freshwater drum are biting on a piece of crawler fished just off the bottom in moderate current.
• Northern Pike - Fair: Cast chartreuse colored baits along shorelines and w**d edges to hook a post-spawn northern pike.
• Sauger - Slow: Try live minnows to entice the bite. With higher water coming down, look for fish to move off to slack current downstream.
• Smallmouth Bass - Good: Cast inline spinners along the rocks in areas with moderate current to catch feeding smallmouth bass.
• Walleye - Slow: Try live minnows to entice the bite. With higher water coming down, look for fish to move off to slack current downstream.
• White Bass - Fair: Cast an inline spinner in areas with current where white bass are chasing minnows.
• White Crappie - Slow: Try small jigs tipped with a live minnow in the warmer water of backwaters and along docks in side channels and protected marina areas.
