| Water temperatures have warmed up to near 70 degrees in most of the district. The panfish bite from shore in area lakes has been productive. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638. |
| Water levels are about 6 inches over the crest of the spillway. Water temperature is in the low 70's. Water clarity is roughly 2 to 3 feet. Anglers are doing well from shore and boat. |
| Black Crappie - Fair: Anglers are picking up fish. Fishing along Ice House Point shoreline and in the marina have been productive. |
| Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are picking up some keeper size bluegill while fishing near shore for crappies. |
| Yellow Perch - Slow: |
| Walleye - Good: Anglers are picking up fish. Shore and boat fishing have been productive. Throw a twister near shore during late evening right before sunset for best luck. Also use a leech, crawler, or minnow under a slip bobber near shore. Boat anglers have also had luck with bottom bouncer rigs. |
Fishing at Black Hawk Lake has been good in recent years. Walleye fishing is best between mid April through mid June. Most fish harvested range from 16 to 22 inches. Fire tiger and white colored twisters, shad raps, and leeches are all lures/baits that work good for the walleye. Largemouth bass fishing is excellent. Bass can be caught throughout the open water season and there is strong population of adult bass over 15 inches. Yellow perch fishing is seasonal and can be good in the early spring and late fall. 2019 saw a record harvest of yellow perch on Black Hawk Lake. Many anglers target perch around the inlet bridge, from the fish house, the floating fishing pier, and the west stone pier. Crappie fishing is good in the spring with fish averaging 10 to 11 inches. Most anglers target the fish house the shoreline along Ice House Point. The bluegill fishing has declined in the last couple years, likely due to the gizzard shad infestation. However, quality size bluegill do exist and most are caught through the ice. The channel catfish population is strong with two large size classes of 3-4 pound fish and 5-7 pound fish. Muskie fishing can be good, especially in the spring. It is a young population, but there are 42 to 43 inch individuals out there. Muskie anglers may experience higher than average catch rates, but many will be in the 25 to 35 inch size range.(2020)
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 .