By the Iowa DNR

This weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff.

Clear Lake
Ice thickness is 12 to 18 inches. Yellow Bass – Fair: Start shallow with a small jig or jigging spoon tipped with several spikes or a waxworm. You have to keep moving to stay on fish. Yellow Perch – Fair: Lots of small fish are being caught. If you’re not going to use the fish you catch, please release them. Black Crappie – Slow: Use jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head in the early morning. Walleye – Slow: Best bite is early morning and evening.
Alice Wyth Lake
Reports of anglers catching a few bluegill and crappie. Bluegill – Fair: Try jigging a waxworm on an ice fishing jig; move around to find fish. Black Crappie – Fair: Jig a waxworm on an ice fishing jig or fish a crappie minnow under a bobber- dead stick rig. Electronics help find suspended fish.

Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake) 
Good reports of anglers catching 7- to 9-inch bluegill. Concentrate on areas near the dam to find structure. Bluegill – Fair: Try jigging a waxworm on an ice fishing jig; move around to find fish.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Anglers were catching crappie on the backwaters of the Cedar River in Bremer County last week. Use extreme caution and check ice thickness often. Black Crappie – Fair: Use electronics to find structure; fish in these backwater areas.

George Wyth Lake
Reports of anglers having success on bluegill and crappie; some sorting is needed for bluegill. Bluegill – Fair: Jig a waxworm on an ice fishing jig; moving around to find fish. Black Crappie – Fair:  Try jigging a waxworm on an ice fishing jig or fishing a crappie minnow under a bobber- dead stick rig. Electronics help find suspended fish.

North Prairie Lake
Anglers have had success catching trout. Rainbow Trout – Fair: Try jigging a waxworm under an ice fishing jig.

Wintry weather has set in across Iowa. There have been few reports with the extremely cold weather and recent ice storms. Trout streams are in excellent condition. Call the N.E. Iowa district office at 563-927-3276 for more information.